Six new public art pieces will be temporarily placed at Hart Plaza over Memorial Day weekend, greeting electronic music fans from all over the world who flock to Detroit for the
Movement Electronic Music Festival. The artists responsible for the pieces were chosen because of a number of factors, including their connection to Detroit.
Once the festival is over, the pieces will be relocated to various parts of the city and installed again as public art projects.
Paxahau,
Community Arts Moving Projects (CAMP), and
Opportunity Detroit are responsible for the contest.
Ernst: King of Cats by Sean Hages is a towering marionette that festival-goers can control by pulling and manipulating a system of ropes.
Yeah Yoy, Foch by Louis Casinelli and Andrew Thompson uses trees from an eastside neighborhood, recessed lighting, and lycra to create a playful sculpture and bench.
Reflection Portal by John Rizzo and Will Tyrell is a 'portal' where electronic music fans walk through a ring of accordion-shaped mirrored Plexiglas.
Dystopian Disco: Sonic Crystals by Bethany Shorb and Kip Ewing. The pair designed a series of prismatic disco balls, bright, reflective hanging shapes that enhance the listening experience.
The Good-time Light-hearted Lean Peaks by Patrick Ethen, Ellen Rutt, Alan Sedghi, Eiji Jimbo, Simon Anton, and Rachel Mulder. They designed a number of pyramid-shaped structures that provide weary festival-goers places to lean during the day. At night, the structures respond to the music.
Amity by Eddie Bullock is a graceful flower sculpture fashioned out of steel.
This is the fifth year CAMP has led the public art project. It has not yet been announced which neighborhoods will receive the public art once the festival is complete.
Over 100,000 people attended the 2013 Movement festival.
Source: Paxahau press release
Writer: MJ Galbraith
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