CCA Instillation

Stagefright Instillation by Suspect Culture in connection with RSAMD TPA students Calum Willoughby, Kirsty Campbell and Louise Marr.

The Project

We were asked to be involved with Suspect Cultures Stagefright Instillation at The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow. This installation involved an element of suspending between 20 - 30 Silver Birch trees (sourced from a sustainable forest) above the Cafe/Bar in the CCA. The cafe has no structure above it but is an open space climbing 2 levels to a glass roof. The cafe is in fact located between the two buildings that have been linked to make the CCA.

(INSERT PHOTO OF EMPTY CAFE SPACE)

We were restricted as to the infrastructure we could build because we could not damage or mark the buildings in any way. Any structure had to be completely self supporting in that respect.

Our Solutions

Number 1 - Calum Willoughby

What it is

Use Petzl Rigging Plates [Approx £2-3] and coach screws [£2.79 for 10 {M10 x 90mm}]

Drill a pilot hole into the trunk on either side of the base. Screw one plate on either side and attach steels with a half ton shackle. Higher up the tree put another two plates on the remaining two sides. Shorter drifts will be needed on these points.

POA for rig

Use a Chain Hoist to lift the tree at the end of the cafe with the bar. Choke a round sling around the trunk and let the Chain Hoist take the weight whilst the 4 lines are attached to the grid. Finally the tree is slid out to its required position using guide ropes. A means will need to be devised for securing the drifts into position on the Grid wires.

Costing

Very cheap steels need priced, [Approx £1 per meter]

Number 2- Kirsty Campbell

What it is

I propose to drill through each tree trunk in two separate places, the position of which would depend on it's size and weight. Large Eyebolts would then be put through the holes and an eye-nut put on the end. This would provide us with 4 hanging points per tree. To ensure that the tree remained vertical we would have to make sure that the position of the hanging points did not make it top heavy and cause it to tip.A drift would then be shackled to each eye and then shackled to the grid system. These could then be lx-taped to to the grid to stop them from slipping along the steels.

POA for rig

Ideally I would like to use Stagehire Scotland's method of installing the truss sections to gain access to their grid in order to hang the trees. However if this was not possible we could try and find a point capable of housing either a chain block or hemp rope so that we could haul the trees up to the desired height. We could then attach the trees to the grid system from the second floor balcony. If we attached a piece of hemp rope to the trunk we could then use it to pull the trees across to the correct position on the grid.

Costing

• Item- Eye bolts (Available from Flints.)
  • Type- Drop forged collared long shank eye bolts.
  • Size- M12, 178mm thread
  • Price- £9.84 (each)
  • Notes- These are expensive although they are safe to use with non-vertical loads.

• Item- Eye nuts
  • Size- M12
  • Price- £2.95 (Each)

Number 4 - Steve Macluskie

What it is

Single Hanging Iron at the foot of the trunk. one single steel going up the trunk with a timber hitch

SEE LINK [1]

POA for rig

Haul tree up at Bar end of the space, clip on and pull out to position.

Costing

£5.80 per flying iron (unlipped) Plus bolts to go right through the trunk