WATCH ABOVE: Tracy Nagai reports on the art collective Wreck City, who are currently looking for a space to put on a new eight day art/music event this summer. Two years ago, they transformed a block of houses slated for demolition into a venue for its art project which became wildly successful.
CALGARY- Here today, gone tomorrow.
It’s one of the ongoing themes behind Calgary’s Wreck City.
The art collective uses buildings slated for demolition as its gallery and it’s looking for a derelict location near you.
Work continues on a massive residential complex in Sunnyside.
The place where not long ago, a row of houses once stood.
“It’s definitely a unique reaction to hearing your house is going to be torn down,” Natalie MacLean said.
The reaction, Wreck City, a final farewell to the old city block.
“I mean it was crazy, there was so much going on. Some people were interested in a house as a space. Some people were interested in art in non conventional space,” MacLean said.
In the spring of 2013, more than 100 artists took over the block, transforming the homes into art.
“I just used, hand cut all the lilac and willow bushes from the back and interwove all of those just by hand,” Daniel J. Kirk said.
It took Daniel J. Kirk an entire week to build his nest, which rested on one of the homes.
“The idea of nesting as these houses were being demolished and it was sort of this temporary installation I sort of wanted to play on that idea of nesting and getting settled and then knowing it was going to be destroyed,” Kirk said.
Now, Wreck City is searching for a new inner-city location to set up shop.
It wants artists in the space this spring, with plans to open to the public in June.
“We’ve looked at couple different locations but some of them were just too neat. We felt like we couldn’t make such a big mess there,” MacLean said.
It’s the beauty and freedom of creating something temporary.
“If I put a slide through the wall, then I have to fix the wall but if you don’t have to fix the wall there’s a lot more possibility there,” MacLean said.
And with progress taking place, it seems everywhere in our city, the possibilities are endless.
Anyone with an idea on where Wreck City should open can suggest it on their webpage.
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