The Meditative Agency of the Material

The radical dissolution of boundaries and the exaggeration of the human inevitably lead us to question the agency of the non-human—or even the more-than-human—in our time, as smart machines and humanoid robots become ubiquitous. Antti Kytömäki’s kinetic sculpture *Untitled 6* serves here as a meditative interpretation. A chain of metal spheres repeatedly falls with a ringing sound onto a black acrylic plate, driven by a system of precisely controlled stepper motors. The oscillating chain ceaselessly folds in on itself, forming constantly shifting patterns against the dark background. This movement, which at first glance may appear mechanical and monotonous, reveals upon closer inspection the reproduction of surprising, random variations. Kytömäki breathes dynamic life into sterile industrial materials such as steel and acrylic, creating a meditative quality reminiscent of the timeless contemplation of fireplace flames or ocean waves. Each moment unravels and re-entangles itself anew, accompanied by monotonous soundscapes that are the inevitable physical result of the materials’ interaction and reinforce the work’s hypnotic pull. Here, the machine does not dream of electric sheep; rather, it dreams of itself as an endless, autopoietic process. So, without gravity, is there no consciousness in matter?