'The Past Ahead' is a retrofuturistic assemblage based on an antique Russian voltmeter from the 1940s. 

A modern display in an almost 100-year-old measuring device housing creates a wonderful contrast, giving the object a historical yet modern look. This is the principle of retrofuturism – how the future was imagined from the perspective of the past. Like a time machine that Jules Verne might have imagined in the 1870s.  

I installed a 7-inch IPS display with media player in the beautiful oak housing, which can play photos and videos from a USB stick.

I mounted a special neon glow lamp on the measuring device, which was manufactured in 1972 for the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union: 50 CCCP.

The scientific look of the time machine is reinforced by the two old porcelain insulators wrapped around a blue pulsating LED cable. 

Materials:

• Antique Russian voltmeter, 1940s
• IPS display media player
• Neon glow bulb from 1972: 50 years CCCP
• Porcelain insulators
• Blue pulsating LED cable
• power transformer
• toggle switches
• textile power cord

Additional information:

• A USB stick can be inserted on the side, and photos and videos are then displayed in a continuous loop on the display.
• The voltmeter scale was actually inside the housing, where the display is now. I have now mounted the scale, which says 'Voltmeter' in Russian: вольтметр, on the outside of the housing.