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Paolo Salvagione
Long term thinking
Paolo Salvagione is a multifaceted artist, engineer, and designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. While he is not currently listed as the Director of Engineering at The Long Now Foundation, he has been closely associated with the organization for many years.12
Professional Experience
Salvagione has held several notable positions:
- Luftmensch at Heuristic Devices since July 2012, where he designs and constructs heuristic devices.1
- Wornick Distinguished Visiting Professor at California College of the Arts from September to December 2016.1
- Artist in Residence at Autodesk from February 2014 to March 2015, where he had access to cutting-edge tools and technologies.1
- Designer & Builder for The Clock of the Long Now, joining the team in 2000 as a principal engineer on several early Clock prototypes.2
Artistic Endeavors
Salvagione is known for his work at the intersection of engineering, participation, and levity. Some of his notable projects include:
- Creating installations that sent studio visitors out a second-story window and back into another on a 900-pound steel wheel.4
- Developing scent-based sculptures that use smell as a touchstone for memory.4
Long Now Foundation Involvement
While not currently listed as the Director of Engineering, Salvagione has been deeply involved with The Long Now Foundation:
- He worked for over a decade as lead engineer on the 10,000 Year Clock project.4
- Salvagione is mentioned as part of the Clock Team on the Long Now Foundation's website.2
Philosophy and Approach
Salvagione's artist statement reflects his interest in liminal states and the intersection of past and present. He often works with materials such as carbon steel, aluminum, nylon, motors, and control electronics.3
His LinkedIn profile describes his goal as "To create objects that future anthropologists will spend way too much time thinking about"1, highlighting his focus on long-term thinking and innovative design.
