shadows on curved surfaces

Originally uploaded by alwasaga

Another interesting property of shadow sculptures that can be exploited in computer-aided sculpting to enhance the visual surprise is that shadow shapes depend on the geometry of the surface onto which they are cast and the viewing angle.

I liked the artistic touch: the book appears to be a dictionary opened on imaginary and imagination.

In this piece by Kumi Yamashita titled Landscape, the shadow is cast by a straight edge and the shadow is shaped by the surface.

shadows with multiple meanings (simplest)

Another interesting property of shadows is that their meaning can change as the light source moves, even without resorting to moiré patterns, as in this sculpture by Markuz Raetz.

… or in this God-Ego duality shadow sculpture by Fred Eerdekens.

With the introduction of moiré effects, the number of possible distinct meaningful shadows can quickly multiply. So far, I have not seen anyone trying this medium.

Shadow of Communism on Univ of Chicago campus

According to this NPR story, the sculpture titled Dialogo on the University of Chicago’s campus contains a hidden message.

Supposedly, every year, on May 1, at noon, it casts a hammer-and-sickle-shaped shadow:

As the sculptor Virginio Ferrari confesses, the effect was unintentional, although he enjoys the humor in it. I believe him because he could have done much better than the rather unrealistic version of the Soviet symbol.

Question: Do you know of a sculpture with an unmistakably intentional elaborate hidden message in its shadow that appears on a specific day of the year?