Composition of Stress and Balance N. 1

With Timișoara’s industrial and economic growth, the city is in a constant state of construction. The materials used in this industry represent an intricate web of hidden engineering, manufacturing, and manpower, ensuring that building stability can be taken for granted. Ioan Both describes this collective effort of finding optimal construction elements to prevent damage during a building’s lifespan as ‘structural design’.

‘Composition of stress and balance n. 1’ is a sculpture serving as a 3D diagram of latent construction forces. A suspended steel truss, acting as both stressor and connector, impacts a soft mattress covered in a printed textile. A corrugated sheet counters the mattress, achieving sculpture balance in terms of volumetric proportions and structural forces.

The project originates from Parasite 2.0’s aesthetic interpretation of Both’s research into the production systems of architectural elements, such as trusses, pillars, and corrugated sheets. Interpreting the engineering lexicon of ‘stress’ and ‘balance’ artistically, it draws attention to how these words also signal modern labour conditions.