SO-IL collaborated with artist Ana Prvački to create the seven-minute piece titled L'air pour l'air, performed by four musicians from the Chicago Sinfionetta in the city's Garfield Park Conservatory.
Monday, September 18, 2017
SO-IL creates air-filtering costumes for Chicago Biennial performance
SO-IL collaborated with artist Ana Prvački to create the seven-minute piece titled L'air pour l'air, performed by four musicians from the Chicago Sinfionetta in the city's Garfield Park Conservatory.
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While it may seem weird, this performance is a really cool way to connect theater and the environment, and make people aware of their environment through performance, in a way that isn't trying to be terrifying or imagines an apocalyptic world of global warming. The costumes themselves, too - loosely called 'costumes' - are such ingenious constructions, jutting out at angles and made structural so that they almost look like alien creatures walking around the conservatory. the stark white and geometric forms are at such contrast with the beautiful music and lush, natural green setting that I think it doubled the impact of the piece - this examination of air quality, being performed in a place full of oxygen-producing air-scrubbing plants, was done inside harsh, bright white air-filtering costumes that almost seem like hazmat suits or life support bubbles. They reminded me a bit of the masks people wear for beekeeping to keep them safe. It's an interesting concert, and one I hope to see more of in the future, or at least more performances and installations with the same tone and message. This commentary on the environment in a non-scary but still thoughtful way is one I think should be explored and played with more as a way to advocate for green practices.
I agree with Sarah. So much rhetoric regarding global warming and climate change seems to center on scare tactics, warning us only of the negatives our future will hold if we continue down such an unsustainable path. This performance pauses to appreciate the greenery of the world and create art. Yet, simultaneously, they passively clean the environment solely by changing their garments. There is a message here: Saving the environment doesn't mean we have to radically change our lifestyles. Instead, a few small adjustments here and there can save the world while making minimal impact on our own.
The design concept for this piece is so impactful in a very minimalistic way. While creating an interesting appearance given the structure of the pieces and the transparent material, it also creates an interesting impact on the viewer by creating a conversation about being aware of the environment of the world at large. By taking its inspiration from the prototype house SO-IL made for Milan Design Week they were able to spread the word of the work they had already done on a larger scale while also creating a greener costume design. This performance piece was truly a statement as it created a concept of how to create innovative costumes for green purposes.
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