Spin Off
As a temporary installation for the Micronomics Festival Brussel, passers-by found themselves witnessing an impromptu performance by two cherry pickers. During the span of two days, two cranes were installed on both sides of the rue Dansaert near the Vlaamsepoort (‘Flemish Gate’) in the centre of Brussels. They were programmed to perform a choreography at random moments during the day and in the evening. Sometimes, the two platforms joined together, so the installation appeared as a monumental animal-like figure on two legs, or, more literally, as a gate to the city. At other times, the two cranes moved independently. The mobile structure, with both platforms functioning as heads, made it seem as if the cherry pickers were interacting with each other. As a mechanical ballet with two performers, the cranes guarded the city entrance in an alienatingly elegant manner.
Spinoff was the first in a series of works in which cranes (or similar machines) are used to activate the public space and more specifically the urban landscape. Other works include Skylight (2011), Framework (2012) and Bridge (2014), among others.
COMMISSION
Citymine(d)
DATE
2009
LOCATION
Vlaamse Poort Brussels (BE)