Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: For decades, the Carrie Furnaces produced more than 1,000 tons of iron per day along the Monongahela River. Now it's a phantom of its former fiery self. Since the mill closed in the 1980s, trees and vines have overgrown much of the rusted relic. Graffiti artists have left their mark on it, too.
11 comments:
I have only been to a few professional dance concerts; I enjoy them, but I feel like I don't understand them. The experiences I've had were like watching theater through a murky lens, abstracted to the point where the beauty and theatricality was still there, but the message or reason or motivation eluded me. This project, which appears to be a dance and music facsimile to "Sleep No More," seems really cool; but if I had to choose between that and "Frankenstein" at Southside Works, I'd probably see the latter.
From the short description of this event, I believe that I would truly love seeing this take place. I love site specific work because it takes a pre existing space and utilizes it in a unique sense to get an awesome result. The combination of new and old sparks many peoples interests because we can now relate this old being with a new light. I also am fascinated by the fact that there is also artwork within this intimate setting. I would have loved to see this production, but I will keep my eyes out for something in the future
I really wish I could have seen this project in person. The idea of mixing projections, acoustic sounds, site-specific "scenery", and dance sounds like the perfect way to revisit Pittsburgh's history. I am very impressed how the artists sought out tours and history of the venue and the scale and intricacy this event holds.
Ethan brings up an interesting point about dance/music experiences as a "Sleep No More" like performance. There is definitely a difference between sitting in a theatre and seeing an entire dance performance than experiencing it as a site specific piece. Site specific pieces become more of an overall experience. Who you are with, where you go, how long you watch, what you see. It is more or less turing the furnaces into an art installation gallery. I wouldn't completely say it is like "Sleep No More", but more of an art experience in the way that you go and you can interpret more how you feel. We always need something new and exciting, something thats different and excited our senses in another way. This is a great project to do that at a historic site.
Aside from the fact this production seems like a beautifully interesting way to explore pittsburgh's past, am I the only one who thinks this is a little dangerous. Whenever a show talks about doing their piece in abandoned warehouses or factories, the fist thought that comes to mind is that if the place is abandoned, is the structure really all that stable? Site specific work is great, I just really hope they take the precautions need that the dancers don't end up injured because they are dancing on a pile of rubble next to a rusted furnace with a few loose screws.
What sparks my interest about this piece is the ability to tour the space freely while dancers are performing. I love finding the beauty in old rusted metal especially places like this and this sounds like the opportune way to take advantage pittsburgh's rich history. Im very dissapointed that I missed the opportunity to see this (I dont think the article gave the date but it was last saturday 10/12) But I hope pillow project and other companies of the like keep up projects like this.
I love the Carrie furnaces, it is a lot of fun to roam around that area and explore and climb on everything, which I think makes it a great location for dance because it inspires movement. One thing i do worry about though is what Jenni was talking about. Although it is a fantastic location it is also covered in rusty metal and loose rocks and a dancer could very easily be injured there.
I wish I had been able to check this out! I also really like site specific work, and usually feel that the threat of being sued for any kind of injury is enough for companies to take the necessary precautions. AJ's comment about turning the space into an art installation gallery is also really interesting, and hopefully this will serve to increase interest in Pittsburgh's history
This sounds so cool. I love the idea of using the old mill as a space for dance, and I can only imagine how beautiful it will look while they are performing. I am a tad worried about them lighting it with candles... Maybe that's just because we've been discussing safety in Technical Management. I wonder how much work they had to do to turn the space into a safe place to perform and to watch. I agree with Ethan and AJ that site-specific performances are unlike anything else and can bring the audience into an almost dream-like state as they try to make sense of the world they've suddenly been placed in. I think that this piece must have made so many people view the space, the history, and maybe even the city in a completely different way. I'm so sad that I didn't get to see this and I hope that I get the chance next year.
The way this project combines different mediums of art is riveting. The use of dance, media and music helps bring this Pittsburgh landmark to life. Not only does it draw attention, but it presents the opportunity for audiences to learn about past while being entertained in the present. This seems like an amazing exhibition to go to, and I think the juxtaposition of the old, rustic steel mill and jazz to the use of media will be captivating. With such an interesting concept and location this will probably be way more interesting than any onstage ballet.
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