NULL OBJECT: Gustav Metzger thinks about nothing

Null Object links neurophysiology, psychophysics and manufacturing technology to produce a sculptural object in Portland stone. Using bespoke software, London Fieldworks produced 3D shape information from EEG recordings of Gustav Metzger attempting to think about nothing. This data was translated into instructions for a manufacturing robot, which carved out the shapes from the interior of a block of stone to create a void space.
LFW produced a publication of the same name published by Black Dog Publishing, including an introduction by the artists, a text by Gustav Metzger and four contextualising essays by Bronac Ferran, Hari Kunzru, Nick Lambert and Christopher Tyler. These leading writers across the fields of literature, art, science and technology explore the diverse historical and conceptual grounding for and broader implications of NULL OBJECT’s production process. Made with the participation of Gustav Metzger; software designed by Jonny Bradley; CAD/CAM by Yaroslav Tenzer.

Photography by Jon Barraclough, The Negligent Eye, Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool, 2014