●Installation · Tocumwal, VIC · 2016

Shelter

An insect-like shelter built to house the robotic bug YUKI. Six twisting stick legs and a hand-blown glass head give it the stance of a protective praying mantis. Built entirely from timber and branches found on site, it set out to bridge the organic and the robotic, while the tail of the form nestled a small bar that ran as a health-drink stand across the festival. Shelter was designed and built by alterplace for Strawberry Fields Festival 2016.

Client: Strawberry Fields Festival
Scope: Concept DesignBuild Management
Collaborators: Glass — Hamish Donaldson

Black-and-white photograph of an insect-like sculpture with translucent wings, sheltered under a winged corrugated-iron canopy on twisted branch legs by the river — 01

Festival crowd milling in front of the insect shelter, translucent wings raised above the corrugated-iron roof — 02

Woven-branch bar by the river, a hand-painted sign promising free watermelon for skinny dippers — 03

Black-and-white view of the winged canopy over the DJ, cicada wings spread against the gums — 04

Playa del Murray — cut-out lettering strung between river red gums over the water — 05

The twisted-branch legs and iron roof standing quiet on the straw, bell tents and river behind — 06

Crew on ladders fitting the corrugated roof to the branch structure during the build — 07

The bare shelter mid-build — woven trunks carrying the long iron canopy beside the Murray — 08