Potter-Belmar Labs
Solaris: Tent of Thee Summer Solstice
performance at AASWARMART
Work Gallery, Ann Arbor
photos by Jason Engling
It was sweet be a part of Zack Denfeld's AASWARMART project, a social sculpture extravaganza utilizing the UM Art School's Work Gallery as its headquarters. Located on bustling State Street, the whole affair drew much public interest and participation.
Let's hear it for helping the "normal people" get connected with art--
Way to go Zack!
Make sure to check out the swarmart blog!
PBL mixed it up inside of the old NIB tent* using Tarkovsky's sci-fi film Solaris as a base-line for an homage to the summer solstice. The film builds a dynamic between the futuristic (albeit bachelor-pad style cluttered) space station and the humanity of its inhabitants, who's deepest emotional longings become embodied in earthy physical form. A kind of Tiamat vs. Marduk theme emerges regarding the quest for structured, ordered meaning and the unruly chaos of existence.
*The Nomatic Information Broadcasting Studio & Portable Exhibition Venue was my project six years ago, when Michael Rodemer led a band of motley art & tech students to Germany for a few weeks. You can view the original "blog" at http://www.umich.edu/~elray/NIBhtml/index.html
I traveled with the tent, a projector, video camera, and laptop. I wrote the pages in HTML, and learned how to update my website at internet cafes on the fly. In 1999, "blogging" was still a twinkle in its mommy's eye, as I sought new modes of expression and communication.The tent served as a space for social sculpture interactions, including free hand massages and video-diary screenings.
