AMBER GINSBURG

re·pur·pose:
A Work in Material Gestures

A Collabortive Work in Brick, Wool and Seed
Amber Ginsburg - Carla Duarte - Lia Rousset

Three scaffolds, three carts and three materials come together as a system. The collaborative, Work-In-Progress reconfigures materials associated with food, clothing and shelter within the 12x12 space at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (MCA).   Repurposed bricks, sweaters and seeds are bound together into hundreds of multiples. Employing the nature of the materials, the absorbent quality of the brick juxtaposing the wicking nature of the wool provides a structure for seeds to sprout.

Over the five-day durational performance, the collaborative performs the needs of the material.  We tend to the needs of the system through our labor and use carts to garner water, heat and light from in and around the MCA.

Within the 12x12 space, the multiples create an independent environment within the museum.  The humidity, temperature, smell, and the continuous sound of water dripping provide a multi-sensory experience. 

Creating a full resource cycle, the multiples are planted in the northern garden bed of the MCA. Mustard and field pea are embedded in the sweaters and these plants pull toxins and add nitrogen through their root structures. This process remediates the Museum’s soil.  The planting revitalizes the site which becomes a meeting place for spontaneous social interaction.  This was an unexpected benefit of the project.

Thank you to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago for these images.

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