CATAPULT

Original functioning catapult model.

city: Lublin, Poland
function: art installation 
sizes: 500x700x300 cm
material: wood, string, metal
status: implemented (2013-2014) Festival "Open City" curator Yuriy Onukh
team: Mykyta Shalennyi, Anton Ivashura
author: Mykyta Shalennyi 
photo: Vita Popova.

Mykyta Shalennyi’s friend from childhood works as a design engineer at the rocket production plant. The plant’s slogan runs as: "Space-tested quality". In the unique designing bureau they design, with his involvement, and launch rockets of different designation into the space. The plant where he works belongs to the three satellite, rocket and component design plants of the world. The plant is located in the city of Dnipropetrovsk.

The author addressed his friend asking to help him design a catapult and make all the necessary estimations for its model development. For the catapult to be able to throw shots of larger weight to long distances.

The “Catapult” project is a logical continuation of the “Fourth Front Door” project, continuing with the topic of the protracted Middle Ages.

The catapult is a metaphor of our opportunities in Ukraine. The object that is rather easy to produce and is rather efficient in terms of its use, if you want to get rid of somebody or something. Also, the author also asks the question about freedom of movement. A catapult is a way to freedom, probably the only one possible here and now.