On the 5th anniversary of the last night of racing at Minnesota’s NSC Velodrome I figured “why not take this moment to talk about this project I did awhile back about death.”
[Wow What Studio: Keeping it Light & Cheery]
It would be almost another year after that final night when we learned the velodrome had been torn down. Amid many local and global tragedies at that moment (among them losing my beloved grandmother only weeks before) it seemed pretty trivial and low on the grieving priority.
We drove to the site. I am not going to dwell on the visual except to say it was gruesome. The lovingly repaired and painted surface and structure unceremoniously and violently torn to pieces. We selected and cut pieces from the available pile. I climbed over wreckage to get to the infield to remove the light switch from the mouth of the tunnel.
I thought for months of what I should do with the pieces we salvaged, how I would want to display them for myself and how I should present them to my friends. I could not just mail sawn-off chunks to people. The surface and memory deserved more.
Inspired by reliquaries and caskets (each ways of elevating and contextualizing terrestrial objects) I dressed up a series of velodrome piece. They were made with custom stands to recreate the bank angle. I used scraps from prior projects for the most part. The pink satin was from Koochella flag scraps. The gold and gray velvets are from hemming my curtains. Each dressed track piece was different. They evolved as time went on.
I then jettisoned them into the world with very little context to friends. Not even a suggestion on how they should sit when shown.
After the initial batch I would go on to make more as I would learn a new way to manipulate fabric or elevate some skill.
I am still not finished.
My goal is to make the one I want for myself. Before I can execute on that splendorous vision I have a few more tricks to learn and practice. There are three pieces ahead of that final one, all spoken for.
Thank you for coming to our show and tell. Happy Anniversary.