Zero Gravity — Less is More Projects — Exhibition — Slash Paris

Past: April 6 → May 25, 2013

The Apollo 15, Hammer and Feather Drop Experiment, August 1971

167:22:06 Scott: Well, in my left hand, I have a feather; in my right hand, a hammer. And I guess one of the reasons we got here today was because of a gentleman named Galileo, a long time ago, who made a rather significant discovery about falling objects in gravity fields. And we thought where would be a better place to confirm his findings than on the Moon.

Fendell zooms in on the hammer and feather but then pulls back to watch the action.

167:22:28 Scott: And so we thought we’d try it here for you. The feather happens to be, appropriately, a falcon feather for our Falcon. And I’ll drop the two of them here and, hopefully, they’ll hit the ground at the same time. Pause.

Dave is holding the feather and hammer between the thumb and forefinger of his left and right hands, respectively, and has his elbows up and out the side. He releases the hammer and feather simultaneously and pulls his hands out of the way. The hammer and feather fall side by side and hit the ground at virtually the same time.

167:22:43 Scott: How about that!
167:22:45 Allen: How about that! Applause in Houston.

With this show Zero Gravity, Less is More Projects continues its offbeat reflection on lightness, weight, attraction and repulsion, in both their physical as well as metaphorical senses. An Invitation to a journey in a surprising world, where a feather weighs as heavy as a hammer.