Working on one of the platforms that will make up the “Ocean of Blood” craft that will traverse the Ganges. — Photo courtesy of the artists
In an exciting continuation of Brooklyn artist Swoon’s Swimming Cities project begun three years ago, the SC crew is currently creating a fleet of hand-built boats to sail the Ganges River in Spring of 2011, where they will connect and perform with South Asian artists and craftsmen. Many of the artists live and work in Bushwick and maintain build space in several local haunts including Coast Cycles and the Egg & Dart Club.
The current project, "Ocean of Blood," features a fleet of five pontoon boats which join together in a radial pattern, creating a floating platform for performances and events. Although the project is in the final design phase, the participants are in crunch mode, struggling to raise funds for materials and shop space for the completion of the boats, as well as support for the journey to India itself.
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Sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts, Swimming Cities is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit group representing a diverse and evolving group of artists who come together yearly to embark on a challenging large-scale project centered around the building and sailing of sculptural watercraft throughout the world, and at home. The multi-layered and uncommon talents and skills of the group’s members create an inspiring, interactive work environment which encompasses art, sculpture, and performance, shared with towns along the chosen water routes.
Drawn from many artist groups, the crew includes artists, designers, circus performers, carpenters, mechanics, engineers, and musicians.
"Ocean of Blood" will traverse the Ganges River from the foothills of the Himalayas to Varanasi. The name refers to the first incarnation of the goddess Kali, who is depicted as a formless void, a primordial ocean from which all matter was conceived.
"This year’s project is our most ambitious and far-reaching yet, as we travel farther from home, and expand to include larger-scale collaborations," said project director Orien McNeill.
The fleet of river craft serving as the basis of "Ocean of Blood" were built by the crew in Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, and Gowanus, and will be independently powered by motorcycles with several different drive systems, including paddle wheels and wind. The smaller scale of the pontoon rafts were specifically designed to successfully maneuver the shallow turns and long, narrow floating bridges of the Ganges.
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Although the project has gained substantial momentum in recent weeks, the all-volunteer crew is working tireless hours to build and finish the boats and drive systems. They have planned several parties and events in Brooklyn and have begun the fundraising effort for the project, although the budget has not yet been met. Swimming Cities has recently started a Kickstarter fundraising account which has a little over a week remaining to raise the remaining few hundred dollars of their $5,750 goal. Despite the challenging financial climate, the Swimming Cities crew thinks their project is crucial not just because it involves Bushwick’s vibrant creative community, but they believe that their DIY art collaborations encourage international goodwill between people despite current worldwide economic instability.
Further initiatives developing out of the current project include a collaboration with artist Duke Riley and Flux Factory to plan a whole summer of boating in New York next year and relationships with organizations committed to opening water access in New York, such as the NY Harbor School which recently opened on Govenor’s Island after a short stay at the Bushwick Campus. Swimming Cities’ presence at the 2010 Maker’s Faire included a magnificent hybrid chariot-boat and an installation of the radial boats which attracted the young and old alike to experience face painting, a hot-dog gun, and live silk screening. A recent event held in Bushwick featured an all-night ping pong tournament, dancing, art, and BBQ.
All this activity does have its cost, admits McNeill, but it all evens out.
"We’re all always broke and tired on account of it, but everyone is broke and tired, so why not do this instead?"
If you’d like to contribute elbow grease towards painting and scraping barnacles off the boats, contact: theoceanofblood@gmail.com. The "Kickstarter Bailout Party" featuring DJ Dirtyfinger, indoor art installations, and an amazing rooftop will happen on October 23rd, at 1089 Broadway, 2nd Floor, with a $5 cover and cheap drinks.
