Portal

Portal is a contemporary kinetic installation set in the depths of the Binbirdirek Cistern. The work engages directly with the heavy, monochrome stone architecture of the cistern. The structure hangs suspended between the historic columns, using the wide, dark void of the cistern as its backdrop.

Descending through the space, the structure is 3.5 metres long. Modern suspension systems allow the carved octagonal metal layers to move independently of one another. Stones in emerald, ruby and sapphire tones are set into the metal surfaces. Strings of pearls hang down between the layers, and at the very bottom of the structure sits a crown.

There is no light source inside the work. The structure is lit entirely by light sources positioned outside it. Striking the carved octagonal surfaces and the stones, that light refracts and is thrown back across the cistern and onto its columns. As you move through the cistern, you see the installation as a different geometric form from every angle.