Capsule

A public art installation by local artists Christina Sporrong and Christian Ristow
In collaboration with Arroyo Seco Live

 

Capsule” | 2020 Paseo Project Public Art Installation

Capsule is a large-scale, interactive sculpture made by artists Christian Ristow and Christina Sporrong. Unveiled in July, the artwork will be on view throughout summer and fall in the village of Arroyo Seco in Taos County New Mexico. Conceived as a response to the unrest of 2020, viewers are invited to contribute their written thoughts and prayers that will later be set ablaze as part of the sculpture’s mechanical and philosophical transformation. Organized and funded by two local arts organizations, Seco Live and Paseo Project, Capsule kicks off an ongoing program of rotating outdoor art installations.

About the artist : Christina Sporrong is a metal sculptor who uses fire, kinetics, and performance to provoke an interaction with her work. Sporrong has a cadre of large-scale sculptures that visit festivals across the globe. She has worked in the blacksmithing trade for decades and founded her own commercial shop, Spitfire Forge in 1996. She teaches Women’s Welding Workshops as a means to empower women and de-mystify the process of working with metal, as well as teaches welding through UNM Taos. Her latest piece is the Flybrary, a 40Ft tall steel head with book-like birds coming out of the open top. Within the contemplative and expressive head is a multi-level library filled with timely and socially relevant books for the public to enjoy. The piece was featured at Burning Man in 2019.

About the artist : Christian Ristow has been building mechanical art since he was a child. After opting out early from a career in architecture, he became involved in his 20's with the underground robot performance-art scene in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the amazing world of Burning Man. A decade working in film special effects in Southern California rounded out his formative influences. Upon moving to New Mexico in 2005, Ristow shifted his focus to large-scale interactive sculpture. These works have been showcased at arts and cultural events on four of the world’s continents. While large kinetic sculpture remains Ristow’s lifelong focus, the scope of his artistic output has recently enlarged to include smaller-scale sculpture, traditional figurative clay sculpture, and oil painting.

Learn more about Capsule and how you can contribute

www.capsuletaos.com

Capsule is the first joint project between
Christina Sporrong and Christian Ristow.

Capsule was made in response to the Covid-19 pandemic as a visual representation of the global transformation that is taking place in this unprecendented time. The notes from the community that have been added to Capsule will ignite a fire within the sculpture which in turn will activate the mechanical opening of the hands exposing the inner core of the piece. This catharsis will take place during an event in the near future, when it is safe to gather as a community again.

For more information
Instagram: @capsuletaos
Facebook: @capsuletaos

Burn it

Dinner with Capsule

A special night of food, art, and conversation with artists Christina & Christian