Indianapolis Island
Encyclopedia
Indianapolis Island is a public artwork by American
artist Andrea Zittel
, located in the 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park
, in Indianapolis
, Indiana
, United States
. The artwork consists of an inhabitable, white fiberglass
structure that is mounted onto a floating dock
system and installed in the 100 Acres lake. Each summer season it is occupied by resident(s) who can choose to modify the island's structure and interior design according to his or her own individual needs.
foam, which is then coated with a fiberglass-resin matrix and a white Gelcoat
mixture. After the Gelcoat cures, it functions as a protective shell for the initial foam layers as well as the interior living space. The artwork is complete with a wooden door, mounted with its own knob and lock hardware. The structure contains a circular front deck area where the fiberglass slopes at an angle, creating a built-in seating area. There is a rowboat that is brought out to the lake's shore seasonally to provide transportation to and from the island for the current resident(s) and his or her visitors.
The objects contained within the living space are in constant flux, in congruence with the transient nature of its inhabitants, who are seasonal, temporary residents of the island. Indianapolis Island is installed in 100 Acres’ 35-acre lake. It is floated on a permanent dock structure that is anchored by two concrete blocks from the shoreline.
The residency completed by Dunn and Runge focused on the interaction and exchanges between island dweller and visitor. Their mission was to embrace the “give and take” nature of the artwork and reflect the concept of adaptation and evolution within their own personal experiences as well as their interaction with the public. During Dunn and Runge's stay on the island, the public was able to access and share their experiences through a wide spectrum of interactions. These experiences included personal Island visits, Island trades, floating lectures, floating messages, and communication through blogging.
Ball's residency focuses on bringing awareness to the water quality of the 100 Acres lake and includes developing a system that utilizes the filtering properties of mushrooms that may help reduce the level of contaminates in the water. Ball constructed mycofilters from burlap, wood chips, and mushroom mycelium, which were placed in the 100 Acres lake in an attempt to lower E.coli levels in the water. Ball will test the lake water frequently and document her findings on her blog.
The company's founder, Alessandro Thompson, and his associates transported the artwork in segments to Indianapolis, IN, and finished its fabrication on site at the IMA along with Zitell, who was also present for this process. The artwork was installed on the floating dock system and launched onto the lake in April 2010, and ready for the park's opening in May 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist Andrea Zittel
Andrea Zittel
Andrea Zittel is an American practicing sculptor, installation artist, and Relational artist.-Early Life:Born in Escondido, California in 1965, Zittel graduated from San Pasqual High School in 1983...
, located in the 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park
100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park
100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park is a public park located behind the Indianapolis Museum of Art in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The park opened in 2010, showing large site specific installation art works by Alfredo Jaar, Andrea Zittel, Atelier Van Lieshout, Kendall...
, in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The artwork consists of an inhabitable, white fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
structure that is mounted onto a floating dock
Floating dock
A floating dock is a platform or ramp supported by pontoons. It is usually joined to the shore with a ramp that rests upon the dock on rollers, to adjust for the vertical movement of the dock...
system and installed in the 100 Acres lake. Each summer season it is occupied by resident(s) who can choose to modify the island's structure and interior design according to his or her own individual needs.
Description
The artwork is in the form of an organic, rounded pod structure that is approximately 20’ in length and has a domed roof. The structure is made from a polyurethanePolyurethane
A polyurethane is any polymer composed of a chain of organic units joined by carbamate links. Polyurethane polymers are formed through step-growth polymerization, by reacting a monomer with another monomer in the presence of a catalyst.Polyurethanes are...
foam, which is then coated with a fiberglass-resin matrix and a white Gelcoat
Gelcoat
Gelcoat is a material used to provide a high-quality finish on the visible surface of a fibre-reinforced composite material. The most common gelcoats are based on epoxy or unsaturated polyester resin chemistry. Gelcoats are modified resins which are applied to moulds in the liquid state...
mixture. After the Gelcoat cures, it functions as a protective shell for the initial foam layers as well as the interior living space. The artwork is complete with a wooden door, mounted with its own knob and lock hardware. The structure contains a circular front deck area where the fiberglass slopes at an angle, creating a built-in seating area. There is a rowboat that is brought out to the lake's shore seasonally to provide transportation to and from the island for the current resident(s) and his or her visitors.
The objects contained within the living space are in constant flux, in congruence with the transient nature of its inhabitants, who are seasonal, temporary residents of the island. Indianapolis Island is installed in 100 Acres’ 35-acre lake. It is floated on a permanent dock structure that is anchored by two concrete blocks from the shoreline.
Historical information
Andrea Zittel, and her A-Z Enterprise, focuses on designing and fabricating artwork and installations that draw their inspiration from modern design aesthetics and functional living spaces. Zittel has been exploring the concept of creating habitable islands for years and her artwork, Indianapolis Island, correlates with her ongoing theme of blurring the lines between life and art. The artist anticipates the installation being used as a living space inhabited by temporary residents who will then modify the space according to their own individual needs. As a result, the island is capable of constantly morphing and evolving into a different space, both physically and conceptually. Andrea Zittel commented on the concept of Indianapolis Island in saying, "The idea of an island appeals to me as representation of many of the values that we strive for in our 21st-century culture: individualism, independence, autonomy, and self-sufficiency. Yet at the same time, these are the same desires that isolate us and lessen collective social and political power. I am fascinated at how the things that set us free are also the same things that oppress us; you could say that the concept of the deserted island is both our greatest fantasy and our greatest fear."Island residency
- Give and Take, 2010, Jessica Dunn and Michael Runge.
The residency completed by Dunn and Runge focused on the interaction and exchanges between island dweller and visitor. Their mission was to embrace the “give and take” nature of the artwork and reflect the concept of adaptation and evolution within their own personal experiences as well as their interaction with the public. During Dunn and Runge's stay on the island, the public was able to access and share their experiences through a wide spectrum of interactions. These experiences included personal Island visits, Island trades, floating lectures, floating messages, and communication through blogging.
- No Swimming, 2011, Katherine Ball.
Ball's residency focuses on bringing awareness to the water quality of the 100 Acres lake and includes developing a system that utilizes the filtering properties of mushrooms that may help reduce the level of contaminates in the water. Ball constructed mycofilters from burlap, wood chips, and mushroom mycelium, which were placed in the 100 Acres lake in an attempt to lower E.coli levels in the water. Ball will test the lake water frequently and document her findings on her blog.
Location history
This artwork was fabricated by Barnacle Bros: Sculpture & Custom Fabrication, a professional fabrication studio based out of Los Angeles, CA.The company's founder, Alessandro Thompson, and his associates transported the artwork in segments to Indianapolis, IN, and finished its fabrication on site at the IMA along with Zitell, who was also present for this process. The artwork was installed on the floating dock system and launched onto the lake in April 2010, and ready for the park's opening in May 2010.