I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows

June 19, 2015 12:16 PM

French magician and juggler Antoine Terrieux created a series of remarkably self-sustaining sculptures using different arrangements of hair dryers, and has also incorporated them in funny ways in his stage performance. He also plays with a diabolo in ways that seem to defy gravity. [via]
posted by a lungful of dragon (18 comments total)

I want the paper airplane one in my living room.
posted by knownassociate at 12:31 PM on June 19, 2015 [9 favorites]

That must be the most annoying museum in the world to be a docent in.

"AND OVER HERE ON YOUR LEFT IS THE HAIRDRYER AND PAPER AIRPLANE BY ANTOINE

PAPER

PAPER AIRPLANE


sigh...
posted by jenkinsEar at 12:44 PM on June 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

Mega maid can both suck and blow
posted by nathancaswell at 12:54 PM on June 19, 2015 [1 favorite]

The diabolo one, is that just slow motion of amazing tricks, or pure fakery of some kind?
posted by chavenet at 12:59 PM on June 19, 2015

The paper airplane one really needs a cat sitting by the window, batting at the plane every time it comes by.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 1:01 PM on June 19, 2015

Shocked that the underwater hairdryer works.
posted by GuyZero at 1:10 PM on June 19, 2015 [6 favorites]

"The diabolo one, is that just slow motion of amazing tricks, or pure fakery of some kind?"

I'm not sure I understand the question. It definitely doesn't look to me like it's just slow-motion video, so it's basically a magic trick of some kind. Maybe he's getting the diabolo spinning well and then setting it on another string that's invisible to the audience? Cool effect!
posted by bfields at 1:35 PM on June 19, 2015

He's quite good with the diabolo - most of what he's doing are standard (if difficult) string tricks, but yes, I suspect bfields is correct and there is/are add'l string/s in play.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 1:45 PM on June 19, 2015

The paper airplane is definitely on a string, right? I can't see it but I can't imagine what else would keep it from flying away.
posted by supercres at 2:08 PM on June 19, 2015

It definitely doesn't look to me like it's just slow-motion video, so it's basically a magic trick of some kind.

Well, it looks to me like a series of difficult but doable diabolo tricks, which would look like that with some judicious slowing down (especially where the diabolo flies through the air), and the magic would be in moving your body to make it look like you're not in slow motion. I guess I thought the soundtrack/laughtrack seemed totally fake.
posted by chavenet at 2:29 PM on June 19, 2015

a-and I went and looked at some other videos and he's clearly got the diabolo on some kind of tether. So no slo-mo diabolo mojo.
posted by chavenet at 2:48 PM on June 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

Shocked that the underwater hairdryer works.

Distilled water?
posted by notyou at 3:14 PM on June 19, 2015

a-and I went and looked at some other videos and he's clearly got the diabolo on some kind of tether. So no slo-mo diabolo mojo.

Maybe it's filled with helium?
posted by notyou at 3:18 PM on June 19, 2015

The diabolo is definitely supported by another set of strings. A similar technique is used in many levitation illusions.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:33 PM on June 19, 2015

This is missing the most obvious possible sculpture, which is a damp and clammy shower curtain that reaches out towards the legs of passersby.
posted by Sunburnt at 4:21 PM on June 19, 2015 [2 favorites]

> AND OVER HERE ON YOUR LEFT IS THE HAIRDRYER AND PAPER AIRPLANE BY ANTOINE

For just $12.95 you can buy a replica of the exact paper airplane that you saw in the exhibit, during your compulsory visit to the Gift Shop.

> The diabolo is definitely supported by another set of strings. A similar technique is used in many levitation illusions.

I've seen Teller's version, "The Red Ball," live at the Rio in Vegas. I was only about 20 feet away from Teller's park bench in the stage center, and the illusion was without seams as far as I could see.

I found this while googling for a video, which I didn't find. The Floating Ball Illusion History
posted by Sunburnt at 4:31 PM on June 19, 2015

From the FPP description I thought it was going to be this guy.
posted by um at 7:29 PM on June 19, 2015 [4 favorites]

Distilled water?

I suspect the lowest resistivity water you can find wouldn't remain ion-free for very long when you dunk consumer electronics in it. To be fair, we haven't actually watched the thing go for very long, so it's possible.

My guess is that it's either originally a hairdryer designed to be waterproof (presumably with a heater element that shuts off without turning off the motor, or one that's been removed entirely here), or he's gutted it and replaced the insides with a waterproof pump motor and potted electronics.

Second guess is that it's actually a light oil or something like flourinert, filmed so all the "do not stand inside of the ventilation perimeter" signs aren't visible.

Half of these are beautiful. Half of these trigger my "didn't you see this at the science musuem when you were eight" joy-quashing asshole reflex pretty thoroughly. (I realize the suspended Bernoulli ball is really neat, but it's hard to remember how neat it was the first time. The addition of mime doesn't help, at least for me.) But, the string above a row of dryers on timers is absolutely fantastic. Thanks!
posted by eotvos at 10:45 AM on June 20, 2015 [2 favorites]