Picture by Mark Stedman
Pneumatics is the science that studies the equilibrium and movements of gas flows in closed (pressurized) environments. So we do here: our fluid: the global agency (𝛢), flows through a pneumatic body, which is submitted to different degrees of stress force along time. The fluid’s degrees of freedom vary according to the stress accumulated by the body, augmenting or reducing its concentration. Physics are simple:
Higher stress force → higher 𝛢 concentration → less degrees of freedom → less energy needed for change
Lower stress force → lower 𝛢 concentration → more degrees of freedom → more energy needed for change
The pneumatic body feels fleshy, translucent, rhizomatic. Its tubular inner vessels, entangled, twist within an embracing transparent membrane. A potential observer may not be sure whether he/she/it is in front of a tiny nebula from outer space or a gigantic piece of connective tissue, right out from his/her/its guts. Perhaps it’s just a macro zoom into the bark of a tree, or maybe it is a vital organ fighting for survival.
The fleshy pneumatic body breathes. A bundle of medical tubes keeps it fed in a restless loop:
the organism inhales in a deep breath…
the membrane swells…
the skein of bowels, flaccid and tweaked, sways at the mercy of the flow… dispersed, dislocated, disconnected…
{suspended silence}
the organism exhales.
the membrane slowly squeezes.
bowels react: they swell up
tightly; both tissues rub against each other, close to suffocation.
{suspended silence}
The fleshy pneumatic body breathes in the room, where it cohabits with other bodies, breathing or not, human or not. When they get close to the body, a playful yet frictional dialogue is established. When exhaling, the organism compresses—skimming asphyxia; there’s plenty of room around it. When inhaling, the organism expands, taking all the possible space, pushing other bodies away. The walls take their part in the dispute; silently they question: