Gowanus Ballroom, Brooklyn

With the installation's opening just a few weeks away, details need to be taken care of in the midst of other preoccupations.

I ordered a new panel from China to replace the one that was giving me issues in Trenton. For some reason the light went dead 6 inches (20 cm) from the top. Luckily the diffusing grid behind it spread the light somewhat in December, but I have to replace it for Brooklyn.

Looking at the mass of wires, cables and extension chords on the panels was sobering: I have no memory of what was done just a few months ago. And, the engineer in Trenton said he can't work this show. Being in the epicenter of the white-hot art scene does makes it easier to chase down new riggers here in Brooklyn--some leads are from colleagues where I teach. 

Hanging the works on the ceiling of the Gowaus will be pretty similar to ArtWorks: Chain and pipe are fixed to the wooden ceiling and from there, the pieces are hooked on. I hope to resolve the initial hanging this week. From there, I'll hang a dry run and mark the spots on the pipe so it can go up (hopefully) quickly the day off the show, June 13.

The Gowanus Ballroom is a working metal shop and the front entrance where SIS will hang is the access to it. I'm suffering some pain about the installation having to come up and down twice while the rest of the artists' work resides happily and undisturbed on the balcony of the Ballroom (where the exhibition continues) but getting to the ceiling of the balcony is very challenging (easily 40 feet--14 meters) so I'm happy where I am. Besides: it's the lead-off of the show.

Getting the word out is the parallel project, as is a quick remix of the sound and installing the new sound units. 

When I visited a little Kickstarter party a few weeks ago at their new splashy offices in what was once rough and industrial Greenpoint, Brooklyn, I chatted up my installation and gave out invitations. Is this the fun part? Yeah, it is. But so is the rest of the journey.

Special thanks to MK4 for the soundtrack on the vid.