BOSTON, MA | 2019 | CULTURAL
Fly Gallery looks to theatrical fly rigging systems, motivated by an architectural envy for the stage and its ease of transformation. Adapting the fly rig to a gallery space, a grid of translucent partitions descends from above. Spatial proportions and ceiling heights lower for children’s events, backdrops and raked ceilings emerge for projections and performances, light boxes descend for displays, and partitions touch down for new layouts, rapidly switching between accommodations for a range of users and functions.
Functioning as spatial device and light modulator, the fly rigging scrim finely controls qualities of space and light while remaining under a budget of $50,000. Designed for a non-profit dedicated to expanding equitable financial and representational models for emerging artists who are often prey to asymmetric power dynamics, and paired with a community-centered mission to provide educational and civic space for local community members, Fly Gallery’s rapid reconfigurability and low cost are an instrument of social action.
Team: J. Roc Jih (architect), James Leng (Photography), Austin Roberts Construction (GC)