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ArtSpotlight
Ralfonso (Ralf Gschwend)
Kinetic Sculptor
 Ralfonso
(Ralf Gschwend): Swiss designer of environmentally interactive, kinetic,
light and sound sculptures (sculptures that interact with the environment
such as wind, water, etc.) since 1980. Since 1999 he specializes in
the design and execution of large to monumental kinetic, sound and light
sculptures for public places from his studios in West Palm Beach, Florida,
USA and Geneva, Switzerland.
His passion in life is Kinetic Art for Public Places. With this passion,
as president from its inception, he co-founded the Kinetic Art Organization
(KAO) www.kinetic-art.org
in 2001 with a German and a US fellow Kinetic Artist. Now, with more
then 1,000 members in over 60 Countries around the world, KAO has become
the largest kinetic art organization in the world.
All Ralfonso kinetic sculptures move, as they interact with water, wind,
electricity, as well as with the natural environment and most importantly,
the viewer.
Sculpture designs range in size from 2 ft to 60ft. Sculptures have been
exhibited or installed in Switzerland, Netherlands, Russia, China, Germany
and the USA.
Recent Exhibitions: “Art in Motion”, Netherlands, “Ralfonso
Kinetic Art”, St. Petersburg, Russia, “MomentuM”, Grounds
for Sculpture in New Jersey, USA, the Art and Science Biennale both
in Beijing and Shanghai, “Finalist of the Cultural Olympics”,
the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, etc.
"ART IN MOTION"
Kinetic Art for Public Places by Ralfonso
Ralfonso's love for art began with his fascination for mechanics and
architecture. In his early 20's he then began to combine these two elements
with his artistic flair and started to design his first kinetic sculptures.
Kinetic sculptures differ from conventional sculptures in that they
are almost always moving. In essence, you see "Art in Motion".
Much of Ralfonso knowledge about this art form is self taught. His
passion to bring public awareness to this genre as well as his desire
in uniting artists with similar interests motivated Ralfonso to develop
the Kinetic Art Organization (KAO). www.kinetic-art.org together with
a German and a US kinetic artist. The organization has grown today to
over 1,000 members from over 60 countries.
Ralfonso's Kinetic sculptures are very large to monumental in size.
They may be in the form of a large mobile hanging from a ceiling to
fountain designs, to wind,- or water-driven outside sculptures. They
are motor driven or move due to the interaction with the the elements
such as water or wind, or directly with the viewer. They keep changing
their appearance and shape, attracting attention from young and old
alike.
Ralfonso Sculptures have been exhibited or installed in Switzerland,
Netherlands, Russia, China, Germany and the USA.
Recent Exhibitions include: "Art in Motion", Netherlands,
"Ralfonso Kinetic Art", St. Petersburg, Russia, "MomentuM",
Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey, USA, the "Art and Science
Biennale" both in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as the "Finalist
of the Cultural Olympic Games", at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne,
Switzerland end of 2007.
As one of 20 international artists, Ralfonso was recently invited to
design a monumental kinetic sculpture for the Olypmic Games 2008 in
Beijing, China.
His most recent installation is the "ExoCentric Spirits - Elements"
which was first created for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line building
in Eugene, Oregon, and now has been installed in the Atrium of the new
"MTR Elements Mall" in the center of Hong Kong, China. The
aluminum and acryl spheres in motion are truly mesmerizing. This complex
interactive sculpture consists of 240 discs weighing almost 1500 pounds.
Incredibly these discs intersect in midair and rotate by air current
alone.
This piece has already taken more time to create (18 months) than most
other Ralfonso works of art to date
MonUP - Russia
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Red Baron
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Moving On UP
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Exo#2
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MonUP - Russia
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Exo#2
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Dance with the Wind
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Click to enlarge hemage
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