Project Schedule and Conceptual Design
We now have a master schedule for all project activities.
We are beginning the sculpture design process with a statement on Function & Form. But first, a quick reminder of “why” we are here:
The project is about “Isolation and Recovery.” Recent events like the pandemic have ripped at our social fabric: at the time when we needed each other the most, we had to isolate. It left a scar! But we can reconnect, rediscover and rebuild through collective action. It takes a team, a vision and plenty of time.
The spirit we created at Vertical Camp during the week went into hyperdrive the day it rained. Instead of whining about missing so-n-so DJ at blah-de-blah camp, the group turned to each other in support and threw a raging party! In other words, “When the rains began to fall, Vertical Camp turned pro!” At the moment of discovering that the real beauty in this world are the people right in front of us, the Archeon awakened and emerged from deep in the mud. That was a healing moment for the group!
The Archeon responds to the communal spirit it detects in the life forms, rises from the ground and broadcasts its message to distant celestial objects, announcing the presence of intelligent, symbiotic life on Earth and symbolizing each of us rising up, reaching outwards, sending our message, and connecting with others in the group; a metaphor for emotional awakening and transformation.
Why are we building this? To bring us together through collective, creative actions that inspires others to create their own works.
Function - to start the conversation
A bio-metallic spore, striking in appearance, the Archon serves as a conversation piece to bring people in to consider the role of community and local arts in their lives and to send their own messages to other Archeon sites throughout the galaxy. Cooperative human interaction triggers the message sending routines. The interaction will be mechanical, but will require some thinking and coordination between 3 participants.
Form - Base, Stem and Antennae
Overall appearance - metallic, ancient, elegant, semi-biological and purposeful. The base is solid, the stem efficient and the antennae extravagant.
The base is solid, grounded, mildly textured and heavily rusted to imply its great age. The base has to hide the structure which anchors the sculpture to the ground and supports the stem and antennae.
The stem reaches upwards, a slender form, also rusted but less so. The surface is textured and segmented as if it’s a set of extrusions from closely packed cilia originating from deep underground. The stem is “efficient” in that the form’s energy must support its primary sensing and communication functions as conveyed by the antennae. The stem also has mechanisms for the onsite interactions that trigger the message sending routines as well as supports the guidance system and lasers atop.
The antennae are prolific (20+), extravagant, non-linear, varied in design, organic, metal, foreign, imposing but not threatening. They have sensing organs (the LEDs and their diffusers) along their stem and tip. This is obviously where the Archeon invests its energies and where multiple people will help with design and fabrication :)
Setting - deep playa…it’s not a dance club, though it may host a party or two :)
Visual Inspiration - one half of a nerve dendrite or an upside down tree where the roots are the antennae. Possibly a thistle or plant. It can also include patterns found in computational mathematics…those my first thoughts, let’s start the discussion!
Design Process and Constraints
The process we are about to begin will design the physical form that best manifests the project motivation … and is realistic to build, transport and operate for Burning Man 2024.
If you want to participate, Meet the Team and join the project.