Introduction
The Sugarcane Labyrinth is a site-specific
installation by Norwegian artist Anne Senstad and is derivative of an
agricultural land art piece and subsequent film created in 2009 at Triple K &
M Farms in Theriot, Louisiana. In an abandoned warehouse in New Orleans, utilizing
ethanol-producing sugarcane from local farms, Senstad will recreate the
labyrinth and simultaneously screen the film. The art installation will raise awareness
about the value of biofuel and the farming of ethanol-producing sugarcane,
touching on aspects of agricultural sustainability, ecological innovation and
the value of local farming culture. We are seeking a minimum goal of $6000. We
are also hoping that additional subsequent funding will go towards an archival
print catalog of the project.
The Team
The project staff consists of the artist,
the curator, a production team, and an advisory board.
About the artist and curator:
Anne Katrine Senstad is a
multidisciplinary Norwegian artist who lives and works in New York. She
was educated at Parsons School of Design and The New School for Social Research
in New York. In 2013 her work was exhibited at the 55th Venice Bienniale
as part of the exhibition The
Metamorphoses of the Virtual at
Officina delle Zattere. She has exhibited internationally
at Zendai Moma in Shanghai, TINAG in Buenos Aires, Utsikten Kunstsenter, SALT
and Stiftelsen 3,14 in Norway, and additionally in NY and Seuol. Her video work
ahs been shown at Centre Pompidou, Canadian Museum of Nature and Haus der
Kultur der Welt in Berlin. She has been commissioned to be part of the
inaugural Bruges Triennial 2015 with her site-specific architectural light
installations and in October 2014 she will be part of ISEA Dubai, the first
electronic art festival taking place in Dubai.
Pamala Bishop is an independent curator
based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has worked on both the local and
international scale, exhibiting and producing works with artists such as:
Eleanor Antin, Robert Tannen, Mel Chin, Edward Burtinsky, Dawn DeDeaux, and
others. She has collaborated with non-profit organizations, galleries and artist-run spaces, and her work has been featured in magazines
and articles such as Art in America, The New York Times, and The Times
Picayune. In 2010, Pamala founded META, an artist residency program in Sonoma,
California, where emerging and mid-career artists could live and experiment
with agriculture and land art practice. Pamala currently resides in New
Orleans, Louisiana.
Other staff members include art producer Theo Eliezer, architect Nickolas Cusimano and a team of interns and production assistants. Our advisory board is a multi-disciplinary team that helms from various backgrounds including agricultural economies and sciences, patrons of the arts, local businesses and various facets of academia. Our goal with the advisory board is to extract the benefits of the project and share them with the community.
The pre-production schedule of the project is taking
place from June until September 2014. Pre-production requires the development
of architectural plans, fundraising, research and logistical planning. In
October 2014 Senstad, alongside the production team, will spend several weeks
in New Orleans installing the piece. This includes harvesting and transporting
sugarcane from rural Louisiana, preparing the exhibition space and building out
the exhibition.
Statement of Need
The Sugarcane Labyrinth is in its fifth year of
development, and through the nexus of art, has brought together a team of
people that can work together to raise awareness about farming culture and
sugarcane as native plant and local resource of Louisiana. The Sugarcane
Labyrinth brings the cultural mélange of Louisiana into a contemporary line of
sight through agriculture, music and art. The project is not only valuable from
a sustainability vantage point, but is also a conceptual space for exploring
the multiple layers of Louisiana’s history.
We have a team of committed individuals promoting the project through a diversity of media streams, in order to create the greatest level of visibility possible. We are promoting community involvement and in general seek to develop long-terms relationships with other individuals and organization interested in exploring ecological sustainability in Louisiana.
Please see the attached budget for our itemized list of expenses. We have accepted in-kind donations, but are in great need of additional funding to complete the project successfully.
Sponsorship
Sponsors will receive credit and honorable mention on
all material, press, website, poster, print and catalogue associated with the
exhibition. In addition, each sponsor will receive a special invitation to VIP
preview cocktail event for The Sugarcane Labyrinth installation in New Orleans.
Conclusion
We have received donations of sugarcane from various
farmers, a local real estate developer is generously
donating the building for the duration of the Prospect 3, and we have local
talent volunteering time and expertise in the field of art production,
architecture, carpentry and academic research. We need additional funding for technical
products, practical expenses, promotional needs, event hosting, development and
materials.
This is a non-for profit project currently seeking
fiscal sponsorship from a local 501c3 organization, therefore all donations
would be tax deductible. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any further
questions, and thank you for your consideration.
Contact info:
sugarcanelabyrinth@gmail.com
Websites for
further Information and Donation:
Donation Portal Indiegogo:
Please email for donation details by check.
Please email for donation details by check.
