Help us build a massive, conceptual, collaborative, Rube Goldberg installation that connects America.
The Deconstruction is a deliriously fun 48 hour weekend un-competition held online, and in real life, from October 14-16. Each year a topic is assigned for our ingenious participants to explore. Over 48 hours they re-imagine the topic by creating something completely new with resources they already have. This year the topic is Deconstruct: America.
The Deconstruction is a good ole fashioned free non-partisan event that encourages working together. Our goal is to move beyond the political noise, bring people together, and reintroduce us to America in a way we’ve never seen before. Participation is open to anyone, anywhere, using any creative medium. You can register to participate at www.thedeconstruction.org
While teams are participating in Deconstruction, this year (we) the organizers, and a handful of amazing collaborators, are creating our own Deconstruction project called “Common Ground”. A one of a kind, never attempted, work of conceptual kinetic art as big as America.
Artists from 4 cities will connect America through a massive collaborative connected installation of chain reactions, fire cannons, text messages, and gospel choirs. Each individual installation will celebrate good things specific to each region, and also address contemporary issues.
Each regional installation is interconnected to the next through common communication mediums (like text messages or emails). When one ends, it automatically triggers the next to begin.
The installation will run for 5 minutes and will be live-streamed in real-time as it crosses the country for the grand finale of Deconstruction.
A few days later we will release a video to the world of the result. “Common Ground” is designed to demonstrate what is possible when people around the country collaborate and work together.
Artists include:
Detroit: “Make Art Work” (Culture Jamming Collective), Ryan C. Doyle (Interactive Artist)
Oakland: Tal Ariel (Composer), Sheet Metal Alchemist (Fabrication and Design)
Phoenix: The Maker Twins & Co (Interactive Design)
East Coast To be announced
This is a non-commercial, non-profit venture. Our goal is to bring people together, and give them a creative voice during this crazy time.
Unfortunately, giving people a voice during crazy times costs money, and building a giant connected/conceptual Rube Goldberg has some associated costs.
Would you like to see a never attempted massive connected Rube Goldberg travel around America in 5 minutes and demonstrate what can be achieved when people work together to solve problems? We sure as heck do. All funds raised will be used to provide funds and materials for building the “Common Ground” installation. Let’s make this happen America!
Oh, by the way. After we (hopefully) pull this off, we’re going to do one around the entire world next year. One step at a time though.
“The Deconstruction” and “Common Ground” are non-profit social art projects created and produced by New Creatures, with a lot of help from our amazing friends. We do this stuff because we love it.
Challenges? Well, it’s never been done, so we obviously gotta figure some stuff out. We’re feeling cautiously optimistic :)
Our biggest risk is doing nothing. We strongly feel that by bringing people around the country together through a positive common creative cause, which identifies issues in an apolitical way, we can make the America we a live a slightly better (and if nothing else, a little more interesting) place.