Parallel Self Embraced is an upcoming art installation for Burning Man 2021. Awarded an Honoraria for Burning Man 2020, the piece was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Work never stopped however, and now the piece is in need of some starter funds to begin the bulk material producing and manufacturing necessary to make the piece a reality.
Piece Concept:
In brief: We live in tumultuous and divided times. Our relationship to each other today is often one of disagreement, strife, and tribal mentality. Parallel Self Embraced presents an alternative - encouraging a coming together interpersonally. The piece forms a sort of abstract mirror. Identical on either side, participants step up to it and see the person across from them. Within an infinite number of universes, in an infinite number of timelines, all events are possible, and in infinity, within some space and some time, you are me and I am you. Parallel Self Embraced thus functions as a looking glass through which to see a partner, a friend, even just a stranger, as a reflection of the self that could be, and the beauty inherent to the person traveling in a world parallel to yourself.
Physical description: Twin 12' by 12' square panels made of welded pipe and metal bars stand parallel, a foot apart, with wooden stairs leading up to the center of each panel on either side. Lines of the structure radiate from the outside of the square inward toward human-shaped negative spaces. Parallel Self Embraced is an outdoor installation. By day the piece appears as an abstract dark metal sculpture with lines radiating out. By night, LED pixels along the radiating lines light up. When a person enters either of the human shaped negative spaces, they trip a variety of interdependent Arduino sensors (eg. proximity sensor, photoresistor tripwire, pressure sensor, etc.) that connect to the LED strands and audio processors. Discreet speakers provide a daytime interaction element and lie beneath the stairs of either side.
Who We Are:
I'm lead artist Matthew Pagoaga. I brought 'Cirrus - The musical weather robotic soloist' to Burning Man 2018. You might have met him! Cirrus sang over 5,000 songs a day at Burning Man 2018 based on live weather data for a given zip code. Our team for that work(and Parallel Self Embraced) is made up of members of theme camp, Shibumi (est. 2010.) If you've been in the 7:30 sector of Burning mans past, you might have had a cocktail at our bar, made use of our confession booth, heard our annual story time morning, or just gotten down to Wu-Tang Wednesday.
What We Need & What You Get:
We're offering rewards for various levels of donation, but, in truth, need anything we can get:
- We need starter funds to begin the purchasing and manufacturing of the piece. This includes buying the LED, drivers, metal, and sensors for the project.
- Any amount donated will support the construction of this piece.
- Donators will be listed as contributors the piece and thanked in materials supporting the work, and on my personal website.
- Stickers, pins, and pendants are also rewards for the various donation levels!
The Impact:
Parallel Self Embraced is situated to emerge from one of the strangest chapters of our modern history. We've conducted a fast of immediacy, intimacy, and connection in this pandemic. I believe we're going to reemerge communicating entirely different -- reevaluating our connections to each other both immediate and distanced. Parallel Self Embraced is thus able to serve as a meeting point for the 'after' of this drought, encouraging a coming together both physically and interpersonally. I believe it will be a valuable work, particularly in post pandemic placement.
Risks & Challenges:
No project is without risk. We don't know where this pandemic will go, and when we'll be free to emerge and embrace. That said, we are committed to bringing this piece to full reality in the aftermath of everything, whenever that may be. Your donation will feed a full size installation. Guaranteed.
Other Ways You Can Help:
We understand that these are difficult times. Excess funds to donate to art projects are often just not there. We're still soliciting collaborators and crew for the piece. If you have a valuable skillset that you think would aid this piece, we'd love to hear from you. You may be invited to join the crew and attend Burning Man 2021 with us!