Past the midway point, my installation is 25% funded. While I have a feeling I will made goal, it's going to be a difficult and probably painful journey indeed. Not that the platform or anything about the process is disappointing, but the challenge of launching something like this is not too different from launching a political campaign, with similar processes, tensions and outcomes.
I worked on a presidential campaign--made the trips to Ohio and Pennsylvania and all the etceteras--not with the belief that my candidate was going to win; no, no. My candidate HAD to win. What he believed in was that important, and I believed, important for my fellow citizens.
That conviction is what's needed when launching a crowd funding campaign. It's what fuels the resourcefulness, it's what makes strategies turn on a dime and switch paths in doing one thing: Getting a message across clearly.
Kickstarting an installation is like a presidential campaign in other ways: It's all or nothing. Either you're the president, or…you're not. Either you're funded, or not. Also, it's a highly targeted media blitz that pulls in smarts from every genre of creativity. What I find the greatest similarity, however, is that, funding an installation, just like campaigning for president, is getting people to believe in your idea, your passion, your experience. There's nothing tenable, not an ounce of predictability or guarantee. Just a belief in a promise and this is quite unlike other types of projects like products, games or technology--even fine art ones like painting.
Ultimately, it's what makes getting there so challenging and so rewarding.
Two people I know--a friend and a colleague--each funded their installations on Kickstarter. I know others who have successfully funded work there, but I refer to these two because they were able to fund experimental conceptual experiential work. And while I've backed eight projects on KS, I've watched none more that the Echoes Exhibit, an installation done by Teresa Flowers.
She, too, tried to fund an experience, and succeeded. But not easily, as her FB feed attests. I get the feeling it won't be much different for me.
I just found you through Fb and I can't figure out what you're writing about here? Your site is confusing and your accompanying photo's are un-informational. Maybe it's just me.
ReplyDeleteI could not agree more. What's going on here? I'm totally confused? Is it steel? Is it ice? Is it stone?
DeleteThanks for writing. Steel Ice and Stone is a multi-media installation consisting of nine photographic panels and sound bytes coming through embedded playback units specifically designed for this installation.
ReplyDeleteThe nine images are of pieces of steel, ice and stone. All nine cycle through in the slide show on the right. The sound is a meld of birdcalls that sound like machines and machines sounds that are similar to bird songs. One of the soundtracks is under the images; the rest are under development.
When the viewer walks through the exhibition space, the sensory media (large LED panels and ambient abstract sound) aims for the viewer to connect with a nuance from a long surpassed memory. My work uses still image, sound, and sensor-driven electronics to express my ideas.
I reinstated the explanation; I had taken it down in the last week of my Kickstarter drive. If you have any questions, I welcome them. I hope this clears it up a bit; thanks again for writing. I sincerely appreciate your interest.