This article was first published in the August 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
Helen Marriage wants artists to think a little bigger. Her London-based arts non-profit Artichoke produces exhibitions on an epic scale: taking over cities, not galleries. Take Temple (pictured), by American artist David Best. Built in Londonderry in March, the 22-metre-tall plywood structure was constructed in six weeks: volunteers were trained to turn Best's sketches into CAD models and a team of unemployed carpenters worked on the construction. "It's like a puzzle -- we start picking up the pieces and putting them all together," Best tells WIRED.
Like the eight towers that Best has built for the Burning Man festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, the plywood structure was set alight on March 21 after being filled with messages for loved ones by visitors from both sides of Northern Ireland's religious divide. "You're making a building for people who have lost their sons and daughters, so the aesthetic can look delicate and gentle, but the building itself must be strong," says Best. "The Catholics and Protestants burned bonfires with effigies of people they hated from the other side," adds Marriage, "so wewanted to do something thatwas more about a universal reconciliation of peace."
Artichoke's first event in 2006, The Sultan's Elephant, closed streets in central London for three days, as a 12-metre-tall mechanical pachyderm and a six-metre-tall girl were seen by millions as they wandered along The Mall. "Our target audience is people who wouldn't go to see a play or visit a gallery," says Marriage. "We're always interested in being in the public domain, making stuff accessible and putting the imagination of extraordinary artists in front of an audience who would never buy a ticket."
The company's next project is its biennial Lumiere event in November, when Durham will be filled with light installations. "We work with 30 artists and they build things all over the city," says Marriage. "It can be anything, from free-standing sculptures to interactive digital work, neon signage, fire and flame." The one guarantee: you won't be able to miss them.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
