Polycentric Truthes mural installation begins Jan. 17

“RAW AIR” Artist-in-Residence Tristan Al-Haddad and PhD student Gerry Chen will begin installation of their massive, robotically fabricated mural installation Polycentric Truthes Monday, Jan. 17 on the first and second floors of Price Gilbert. 

An interpretation of Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Polycentric Truthes also serves as a commentary on the echo chambers within which contemporary society is situated. It will be painted over two months on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and students, faculty and staff are invited to watch the piece coming to life.

“This piece has been a design and research exploration for more than a year and is now coming to fruition as the custom robotic technology and conceptual design converge,” said Al-Haddad. “This merger of art, science and engineering illustrates the type of exciting work that can be realized through multi-disciplinary research and design projects at Georgia Tech.”

In 2023, the Library partnered with former Georgia Tech assistant professor and double-graduate Jacket Al-Haddad for the second installment of the Artist-In-Residence program. Polycentric Truthes is the culmination of the program.

Al-Haddad, who also designed and implemented the Library’s seventh-floor roof terrace Crosland Chroma project, said Polycentric Truthes “seeks to transform the written knowledge stored in the library into large-scale, interpretive drawings across the north façade of the building.”

To create the work, Al-Haddad partnered with Chen to utilize his human-style painting robot.

The Georgia Tech Library Artist-in-Residence program enhances and expands the current educational experience through arts-based programming as it relates to STEM fields and Georgia Tech areas of study. A visiting artist engages the Georgia Tech community in an artistic and aesthetic exploration of the role of the libraries in society, and the Artist-in-Residence program supports the mission of the Library through arts-based programming and engagement as a core responsibility of the artist-in-residence.