"Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain" is a sculpture designed by German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth. Intended to resemble a roller coaster, it is actually a fully interactive installment, featuring completely walkable staircases along most of the length. As someone familiar with roller coasters, it was interesting to see something so similar from a different perspective. Roller coasters are quite fast, so riders do not often have the chance to observe their surroundings. This sculpture trades the visceral experience riders are accustomed to for other sensory observation opportunities.
One shortcoming, however, is the inability of viewers to traverse all the way around the loop. Even something like wrapping the staircase around the loop, while not exactly accurate to the experience, would still allow viewers to gain an even higher perspective. In a similar way, our project could provide ways for audience members to rethink their perspectives on common objects or experiences, by simply reimagining them and changing a small, but critical characteristic.