Pulse Machine, 2012

kick drum, solenoid, flip digit numerals, Arduino microcontroller, mixed media

This electromechanical sculpture was 'born' in Nashville, Tennessee on 2 June 2012, at 6:18 PM. It has been programmed to have the average lifespan of babies born in Tennessee on that same day: approximately 78 years. The kick drum beats its heartbeat (at 60 beats per minute), and the mechanical counter displays the number of heartbeats remaining in its lifetime. An internal, battery-operated clock keeps track of the passing time when the sculpture is unplugged. The sculpture will die once the counter reaches zero. Made in collaboration with Alexander Reben.