PLANETARIUM

PLANETARIUM was on exhibit from July 17, 2009 through October 31, 2009 at Environmentaland, N Highland Ave and Yucca Street / Johnny Grant Way, Los Angeles, CA 90028.

a long exposure under the stars

PLANETARIUM consists of a geodesic dome structure measuring fifteen feet in diameter and eight feet in height and wrapped with a quilt of recycled paper. Six thousand sheets of used paper are cut and reformed to create Planetarium’s quilted cover. The dome itself is reused from a previous installation, and the recycled paper is bonded with homemade rice paste rather than glue. Inside, visitors use a hand crank made of re-purposed parts housed in a box made of reclaimed wood to power a bulb that radiates an accurate representation of the northern hemisphere’s winter night sky onto the inside of the dome. In addition to the hand crank, the energy needs of PLANETARIUM could also be met by other forms of human-powered energy (i.e. bicycles) and could even be powered by a small solar panel, harnessing the energy of the sun to power the stars.

PLANETARIUM is the first in the Reclamation series, a large-scale, environmentally sustainable collaborative endeavor that poses the question, “What if people took the environment as seriously as religion?” Reclamation’s series of interactive installations use kinetic energy generated by individuals in order to create a new way to look at and engage with our environment without harming it. Each of the spaces are environmentally-conscious in both form and content, made up of re-used and recycled materials. Reclamation strives to create a space in which the public can consider the issues of environmentalism and religion that, when approached separately and through current modes of interaction, are so highly-charged that meaningful or constructive discussion is often precluded.

Throughout the exhibition, Reclamation is hosting lectures, performances, workshops, and events so please let us know if you would like us to keep you posted regarding future Planetarium and Reclamation news.

For more information, please email info@reclamationproject.org.