05_FERRIS WHEEL 1893

Historical Exhibition

Instructor: Catherine Wetzel

Location: Chicago, IL / Team

Work

Roles in team: Curator, historical research drawings, representation of exhibition. All drawing shown here were done by me

The exhibition looks at the spectacle associated with the Ferris Wheel of the Columbian Exposition, 1893. When built, the Ferris Wheel of George Washington Gale Ferris was the largest moving structure of its kind. It was also the tallest structure in Chicago at that time. Based on rare technical drawings of the first Ferris wheel, we reconstructed the whole Ferris wheel by collecting research documents. We worked collectively to produce graphic documents and models for exhibition purposes. The works are to make visible the sensational qualities of the Ferris wheel as it may have been experienced in 1893. Through research, drawing, and modeling, we used collages to express a narrative of the Ferris wheel and its legacy which will be constructed as a means of the potential of kinetic architecture.