ATLAS

ATLAS

Sculptor Jon Voss has given the mythical story of Atlas new skin: a mechanical cyborg who supports the modern cities we live in. Known for his metal and kinetic sculptures molded carefully into natural forms Voss remakes the biological world in a post industrial way. He even wants to create a mechanical black swan using biomimicry. With this in mind it’s easy to see the biomimicry in all of Voss’ work. Even this cyborg Atlas. 

This huge textured sci-fi robot with tubes, muscles and fabric skin has the feeling of something living. This fleshy cyberpunk machine rises out of the water from where we all came, representing the strong foundation we’ve laid with our technology and how far we have come. Yet the city on top of the cyborg’s back is still familiar, humble and warm. Do we truly take for granted how much technology aids us in our day to day lives? Or is it that it’s hidden, under the surface: an omnipresent yet invisible deity controlling the very infrastructure that keeps the city above inhabitable. 

Like a whale’s tail breaching the surface, Atlas is a symbol of the larger beast beneath. It’s a representation of all the cables, cords, pipes, pillars and copper wires hidden from view: that vast infrastructure of life-support systems feeding the people of every city, town and village. And yet it’s peaceful - at least for now. The human form of Atlas is a reflection of the human in our technology, how it’s centered around us and in service to us. But as we transition into this new phase of artificial intelligence, will the cyborg open its eyes, raise its head and rid itself of the weight we’ve placed on its shoulders? 

Jon Voss’ Atlas is mythical, and true to every myth it contains a subtle warning of what might come if we take too much for granted.