Proposal for Art Shanty Projects 2006

Danger Hotrod

Proposal - Ice Disco Oasis Shanty

This proposal would involve the construction of an ice disco oasis shanty – the primary structure being a shanty large enough to contain a handful of people to shelter them from the weather, and an oval skating rink around the structure. The outside of the structure would have disco balls lit from below and be painted in bright colors or perhaps also covered with reflective material. The ice disco would be open during pleasant weather, primarily at night. Hopefully, we could plan some ice disco nights and try to get a fair number of people out with a small amount of advertising on things like local Burning Man mailing lists and other newsgroups that might create a draw.

The inside of the structure would contain a small stove to keep it warm in operation, a boombox or two with a selection of disco mix tapes (which we would make), and comfortable furniture done up like a true oasis. Palm trees, lawn chairs, and hot chocolate served in martini glasses could be some decorative elements.

The primary cost of the project will be used in the construction of a durable structure large enough to house a handful of people comfortable (2-4 seated and a few standing – more if people squeeze in). The other design considerations will be involved in construction of the ice house to incorporate lights and music. Power consumption is the main issue here and the boombox music idea would work well but the lights would still be a question. It is possible to create lighting that requires little power using LEDs. I have constructed a sculpture at Burning Man two years ago that used LEDs to light the sculpture at night (a safety requirement for playa art) and it worked quite well (bright light running from a small lantern battery). The amount of lighting and decoration will probably be based on the amount of stipend leftover after the construction of the ice house structure.

The other main consideration would be the rink itself. I have seen a few attempts at the construction of homemade ice rinks and have seen various amounts of success. Researching the best way to create a smooth rink would be important for an enjoyable ice disco and some experimentation would be part of the work in creating the piece. Occasional maintenance would also be necessary in running the ice disco oasis on a semi-regular basis.

The Art Shanty Project runs for about a month and we anticipate attempting to operate the ice disco oasis once or twice a week with perhaps three nights that are more advertised in the sense that we will try our best to make an event out of it and get a good crowd out there. Finding some way of operating the disco on the most pleasant nights and getting the word out would be an optimal method of operation.

We also hope to get some ice skate donations or inexpensive used skates for visitors without skates of their own. There is also the possibility to let the ice disco be open all the time and trust that people wouldn’t steal the skates or vandalize the structure operating on an honor system. Perhaps that would be something that the Art Shanty Projects could advise us on if our proposal is accepted.