IDSWest
A trade show floor is not the most accommodating place for performance art. The vast openness of space, the depressingly even lighting, the overwhelming buzz of the crowd and the sheer gaudiness of it all combine to effectively drown out any event. The project brief called for a temporary spatial installation tuned to several dance acts.
The basic design concept is that of a tree to which people may flock. Benches are imagined as branches, which may be occupied, and the ceiling piece as a tree crown, loosely outlining the extents of space and, thereby, containing the performance. While the benches invite people to flock, they also suggest a boundary between spectator and actor. The viewer gets an uncommonly close view of the performance, but remains outside of the immediate domain of the stage.
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