Time is usually something we glance at—a rigid, invisible measure of minutes and hours. In Time In Motion, Tauranga kinetic artist Ian Howell strips away the clock casing to explore what happens when internal mechanics become the art itself.
With a background bridging mechanical engineering and project management, Ian's practice centres on "visible thinking". His moving sculptures expose the gear trains and microcontrollers driving each movement, combining industrial precision with materials like layered plywood, bamboo, polished metals, gold mirror, and optical clear acrylic.
The exhibition is arranged across four immersive zones throughout the gallery:
- The Natural World: Organic cycles brought to life in timber, featuring the sprawling Breathing Forest and the unfurling red fronds of Koru.
- The Machine World: A celebration of mechanical wit, featuring the playful Dancing Clock, aircraft-inspired mechanisms (Wasp 1830), and timepieces running anticlockwise.
- The Radiant World: Light and shadow intertwine through gold-gilded botanicals, textured ripple patterns, and custom-coded LED rings.
- The Performance World: Moving beyond the traditional dial with flowing-liquid LED animations, wide-format sand motion, and freestanding transparent desk clocks.
Whether you are fascinated by mechanical clockwork, digital design, or simply curious about how things work, Time and Motion offers an engaging look at the intersection of engineering discipline and artistic motion.
Sponsored by Gate Pa New World
This exhibition launch preview is Friday 25 September. Licensed Bar onsite, and everyone is welcome.