Xmas project: Pop up, pop down

For our next project we were briefed on the nature of temporary structures. Over Christmas loads of decorations, markets and plays pop up all around London. I went to places like the Southbank, borough market, Carnaby street and regents street to have a look at light displays, stalls and everything else thats festive.

German market on the southbank

lights on the walk between the southbank centre and the oxo tower

These were my favourite lights. They had been set up under one of the archways that lead onto clink street. The lights would illuminate in ripples so it would have this bursting, exploding effect. 

Libertys

Carnaby Street

this isn't exactly christmassy but i just thought the lighting looked great.

I like the fact that foundation you have the freedom to choose other specialisms, on this project I chose the theatre brief. I was really inspired by the idea of a set that you had to carry around in a suitcase. I thought you could incorporate great elements of character and location. Also, excluding the first week chair project I hadn't made a physically working product. On 10x10x10 I was developing ideas through scale models- I like model making but I also find it really satisfying having a fully working product as an outcome.

I found a suitcase in a junk shop and started planning out how it could accomidate a pop up theatre set. We could choose a specific play to design around (you could try out a pop up panto if you wanted) but I thought if a chose a christmassy play my work was in danger of becoming a bit cutesy and flat. Instead I wanted to make a performance space that could adapt to any location and any set of performers. I used work but Ernesto Neto as a starting point- I saw his work at the Hayward in the summer and was really drawn to the way he manipulated material. I thought some kind of stretching material like that used by Neto would be great for my set because it can be rolled up and packed away easily in a suitcase.


Source:http://dailyserving.com/wp-content/uploads/art/Ernesto-Neto-2-8-07.jpg

  

Source: http://dervinbatarlo.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/coloured-exit.jpg
Both of these pics are of Neto's work

When I was sketching out ideas for my project I wanted to think of different ways I could make the set interact with its surroundings. I wanted to create an exta door at the back of the case so it could become a passageway connecting two different areas. The case could be set up in a narrow passageway or a gateway and with both lids open the audience could crawl through the case and end up in another world. This reminded me of Narnia when the cupboard becomes a passageway, and the wizard of oz also has that element of travelling between two worlds.

Here are some more photos of my development: