Photos From Glow, Santa Monica’s Burning Man Attempt

July 21, 2008 at 6:45 pm in Art, Events, Music, West Side

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Chal Pivik has an excellent writeup on the all-night Glow event that took place last Saturday night on and around the Santa Monica Pier.  I was there too, along with what looked to be at least 10,000 people, and I agree with Chal’s assessments.  I took some pictures, and hopefully Chal won’t mind if I post them here to add to his description of the event.

The installation above is called Primal Source, by Usman Haque.  This loungey structure is made with white balloons, and is described as allowing “the public to participate in the making of the art,” although I didn’t see that happen.

This next photo is of the Dunnage Ball by Peter Tolkin Projects.  It is “composed of 30 dunnage bags (used to isolate and stabilize cargo during transportation,” resulting in “a 22 foot diameter molecular-like structure” that “the public can sit within … and gaze out to the ocean and beyond.”

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By far the most interesting installation we saw was EX-SE-08 by Shih Chieh Huang.  This exhibit, along the path directly under the pier, is described by the artist as “an installation of common objects, such as water bottles and plastic bags, … transformed through light, air (directed by small fans), and fanciful constructions into an underwater grotto, at once enchanting and unnerving.”  It reminded me of the E.T. Adventure ride at Universal Studios in Florida.

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The Pier got to show off its new Ferris Wheel and its lit self, but it was strictly for those who like tightly packed crowds.  To me, like a Monet, it looked better at a distance.

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It was fun to join the Santa Monica community for this well-attended innagural outdoor event.  With some improvements along the lines that Chal suggested, I think Glow could elevate itself from goofy evening beach outing to significant Los Angeles area cultural happening. 

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