Department of Future Fortune

Posted: January 24th, 2012 ˑ : Projects, Public Work, Shows, Time & Place ˑ

The Department of Future Fortunes was presented at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art on January 2o. SBMA executed their annual Nights event, the theme this year was Chinese New Year, the year of the Dragon. I was invited to create an interactive installation. I organized a team of performers to work in the installation. They were tagged the Imperfect Irregulars and they exceeded all expectations. Each performer was given a starting place of “office worker” and then sent forward to evolve their actions with the public. We had four different stations for them to work: the front of line, teller on a typewriter, fortune retrieval, and as assistant to the Dragon in the office.

Throughout the event we processed hundreds of fortune requests, with a line never shorter than fifty people. The line for people to enter the department stretched through two other galleries and threatened to block the entrance of the museum. When we finally closed, (laying off the entire department) we had dozens of people attempting to push their way into the department. Bribing my door person with drinks and begging to be given the fortune form. The Irregulars are all amazing I can’t thank them enough.