measuring tools karianne halse
Karianne Halse
A collection of nine (ancient) plumb bobs Various materials: brass, iron, cotton (strings), wood (reels)
Manufacturer and year of production: unknown Acquired in Venice, 2019.
The plumb bob is a measuring tool used for suspending a vertical line in space. It embeds a spatial relation, through the force of gravity. Suspended from a point above, the plumb bob embeds time and movement; requiring patience while seeking stability, balance and symmetry. The collection of ancient plumb bobs was acquired in Venice for a particular use. It was put into dialogue with a 3d photogrammetry operation, measuring Venetian building facades. The plumb bob was placed physically into the context, defining a vertical datum within the digital scans; a stable vertical in an environment where all other lines are everything but straight. In today’s society, the plumb bob as a measuring tool has become obsolete, replaced with laser technology possessing an outstanding degree of numerical precision. However, the plumb bob manifests a spatial relation and immediate relationship between the tool (object) and place – a quality which is rendered visible in a 3d environment where gravity, sense of scale and time is lost.
on site review 39: Tools 14
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