MOLAS: Rejane Cantoni and Leonardo Crescenti

Molas are wearable kinetic sculptures designed to produce audio-tactile-visual sensations for the user. The sculptures are composed of twisted, shaped, hardened, and metalized spring steel wires, along with connectors. The form, the choice of materials, and the treatments used were defined based on the combination of ergonomics, rigidity, and elasticity. Designed to be worn around the neck, six spirals of 3.5 millimeters in thickness, 210 millimeters in diameter, and a pitch of 20 millimeters chime as they compress or extend according to the movement of the user's body. Designed to be worn around the arm, 20 to 30 spirals of spring steel wire with 1.1 millimeters of thickness, 8.5 to 9.5 millimeters in diameter, and a pitch of 0 compress or extend, sliding and producing tactile effects depending on their position on the arm. For the external observer, the elastic nature of the sculptures also produces optical and kinetic effects. When compressed or stretched, the force applied to the object draws linear patterns whose lengths increase in geometric progression.

Spring: a spring steel wire is a metal alloy subjected to high temperatures, which gives it a memory effect, meaning it tends to return to its original position. A spiral is each loop of the spring. Pitch is the distance between the spirals.

In a brief yet relevant text written in 1957, Marcel Duchamp discusses the complex process of artistic creation. For him, there are two poles in the creation of an artwork: the artist and the public. In the creative act, the artist moves from intention to realization, materializing their idea through various subjective and complex processes. Duchamp states that the artist functions as a kind of medium, navigating a labyrinth beyond time and space in search of clarity. It is through these labyrinths, advances and retreats, bifurcations and intersections, that the artist duo Rejane Cantoni and Leonardo Crescenti seemed to find themselves when I met with them in early 2012 to write this brief text about their project. "A jewel that transcends conventional jewelry and presents an architectural and constructive logic similar to our work," say the artists.

Rejane Cantoni and Leonardo Crescenti have built a unique trajectory in contemporary art, incorporating strategies and processes in which the body and its movement in relation to the work have often been the driving force behind their projects. Working with installations, site-specific works, and kinetic sculptures, their pieces, made of metals, mirrors, and other materials, move and react to audience interaction. This is the case in works such as Infinito ao Cubo, Piso, Espelho, Solar, Túnel, and Solo. Piso, for example, is designed to be activated by the public, who, by stepping on the device, transfer their force and movement data, generating a wave that travels along a 20-meter-long metal sheet. Despite the differences and specificities of each project, the body is always conceived as an interface: it is not only the driving force behind the work but also the medium through which the piece operates. In a way, their projects align with Duchamp's prediction that the public is fundamental in the creation of an artwork: "The creative act is not performed by the artist alone. The audience establishes the connection between the artwork and the outside world, deciphering and interpreting its intrinsic qualities."

It is in this potential, this interaction, dialogue, and relevance to the body and the public that we find the starting point for the complex creative labyrinth of this duo: "In general, our works are designed as architectural structures; the space contains the body. However, in this project, the body must wear the work. The challenge is to create a kind of installation-jewel, a wearable kinetic sculpture," say the artists. If the labyrinth is indeed the path of creation, full of multiple routes and dimensions, these jewelry-interfaces seem to incorporate different references and dialogues with the artists' subjective memories and experiences. "A set of references led us to think of forms to develop a wearable sculpture. One example is the sound-producing costume worn by the Chinese empress. In her garments, gemstones, bells, and other embroidered elements jingled, signaling her presence, her movement, and her manner of walking." Another reference alludes to magic and aesthetic power when the artists recall their visit to the Gold Museum in Bogotá: "Shamans wore adornments such as bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and masks, some made from cut gold sheets designed to create kinetic effects. To other members of the tribe, the sight of a man adorned with shining ornaments gave the illusion that he was the sun itself." The final reference is the story of a friend who used to wear a large collection of silver bangles on her arm. Before undergoing surgery, she was advised to remove the bangles and remain without them for some time. Out of vanity or habit, she could not tolerate their absence. She consulted the doctor, and together they agreed that she could wear them under observation. The result of this risk was remarkable. They found that the weight and movement of the bangles stimulated her arm; the bangles functioned as a kind of automatic lymphatic massage device.

Behavior, magic, touch, sculpture, architecture, kinetics, interface, body. Like a kaleidoscope, these references accumulate and overlap in the artistic creation process. Here, it is not just about developing a new sculptural device but about conceptualizing it on a scale that can interact with the body of the wearer. Amidst this whirlwind of ideas, metal bangles, shape-memory materials, springs, and other materials that respond to the movement of the user's arm are some of the possibilities envisioned by the artists. In the creative act, the artist moves from intention to realization through a series of entirely subjective reactions. The struggle for realization consists of a series of satisfactions, rejections, and decisions that lead to numerous bifurcations, each giving rise to a new work. May these new works by Rejane Cantoni and Leonardo Crescenti reach us soon!