Sculpture is new dynamic element in Manchester atrium
The three-story atrium at the Manchester University Fort Wayne campus is now home to a soaring sculpture, Duality, a generous gift from Ian and Mimi Rolland.
Artist Kenneth von Roenn designed the new work as a unifying element between MU’s northeast Indiana campuses, visually relating the new work to his 2006 sculpture floating above the central stairway of the Science Center at the North Manchester campus.
That sculpture features circular metal elements with a central curved aluminum spline passing through them and dichroic acrylic elements suspended along its length. Dichroic coatings cast one color of light when illuminated and reflect the complementary color in the opposite direction. As the angle of light or viewing perspective changes, the colors shift.
For the Fort Wayne atrium, he used the same elements and similar composition. Because the atrium lobby is far more complex spatially, the work consists of two sculptural forms, with 34-foot arcs oriented in opposing directions. This create a dynamic relationship, he explains, establishing a dialogue between them.
In the first sculpture, the form represents the different areas of study at the University, and elements are arranged in a uniform, regular manner around a central arc. Individual dichroic colored elements, representing faculty and students, flow freely within this organization.
This relationship he refers to as “the random and the ordered” is further developed in the new sculpture, which adds both concave and convex shapes of the arcs.
“This duality of the forms, ordered and random, represents the structure and spontaneity that comprise a balanced education where the sciences and the arts together form a unified base of knowledge and understanding,” he said. “One supports the other in a well-rounded, unified education, which is the hallmark of Manchester University.”
The permanent installment can be viewed during business hours when school is in session at the Fort Wayne campus, 10627 Diebold Road. Gallery 101, off the atrium, often has special art exhibits.
There are also galleries at the North Manchester campus. For specific information about any gallery or to inquire about the possibility of exhibiting works, contact Ejenobo Oke, director of galleries, at 260-982-5334 or eroke@manchester.edu.
August 2016
Manchester University, with campuses in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, Ind., offers more than 60 areas of academic study to 1,500 students in undergraduate programs, a Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics, a Master of Athletic Training and a four-year professional Doctor of Pharmacy. Learn more about the private, northern Indiana school at www.manchester.edu.