Objects of Daydreaming

PATTU, Cem Kozar, Işıl Ünal (Turkey)

Alt Art Space

“For millions of years… stone objects were the main tools used by our humanoid ancestors… The Acheulean hand axe was used without much change for 1,5 million years, an absurdly long period of time… Its use was so widespread that it can be found all over the world… The Acheulean hand axe… marks a turning point in human evolution: for the first time, our ancestors were externalizing a mental image and projecting it onto the objects they were making. The hand axe was probably the first designed object… Hand axes were functional tools for cutting or scraping, but there is evidence that this might have been their secondary purpose… They were actually objects of beauty, demonstrating the skill of their creator, they were the products of daydreams.” –CK, IÜ

Objects of Daydreaming considers at the Acheulean hand axe as a key moment in the evolution of the human brain and its capacity to externalize thought. Despite its seeming functionality, this hand axe served primarily as a tool of communication. It was the first non-natural object in which human creativity was embedded, the beginning of design. This installation by Istanbul-based studio PATTU presents 30 3D-printed hand axes, and one stone replica produced by the original technique.