#hiddencrafts lana blazanin
Title: A Handtervention Audience: All Passerby’s - Young and Old Location(s): Gertrude Street, Fitzroy Geelong Waterfront Degraves Place, CBD Rankins Lane, CBD Time/Date: Sunday 30th March 2014 Duration: All Day
Intervention Summary: Moulding my hand and fingers as a plaster sculptures to fix upon existing surfaces. With a clear description and instructions for social media support posted close by. Would Victorians interact with craft? Would they even notice it?
3 _ Introduction
Lana Blazanin
Location Maps
4 _ Sites
Lana Blazanin
Site Photographs
Spread across Victoria, the sites and their specific interventions chosen were carefully thought out to extract relevant knowledge and research. The Handtervention in Fitzroy was to draw upon an established and thriving art and craft community to test if they would financially support a craft orientated project. The Handterventions within the Central Business District were targetting a diverse range of large crowds to see if in amongst them were any craftspeople. The Handtervention in Geelong was placed in a highly occupied area on a sunny Sunday to test if the people of Geelong see craft in it’s existing city fabric.
5_ Site
Lana Blazanin
6 _ Design
Lana Blazanin
Diagrams
Could this be an opportunity to rekindle Victoria’s love affair with craft?
Through the symbol of the hand, representing the handcrafted objects associated with many crafts, the tactile sculptural object becomes a focal point. Placed upon surfaces of contrasting texture, colour, scale and context - the pure white hand/fingers become attention grabbing and spark curiosity.
7 _ Design
Lana Blazanin
Some people barely noticed . Some people photgraphed . Some people touched the hand .
8 _ Installation
Lana Blazanin
Some people stood to read and engage . Some people pulled it apart . Some people simply smiled .
9 _ Installation
Lana Blazanin
100% EXHIBITION / EVENT SPACE
OUTER CITY SUBURBS
HARDLY EVER
THAT FAR? NO THANK YOU
PRIVATE STUDIO
$5-20
MAYBE... DEPENDS WHAT CRAFT
75%
CONTRIBUTION TO ITS DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
FAIRLY OFTEN
RETAIL OUTLET
AN OBJECT CRAFTED BY THE CRAFTSPEOPLE INVOLVED
50%
CLASSES / WORKSHOPS
RURAL
VERY OFTEN
OF COURSE
$50-100
A TAX DEDUCTABLE GOOD FEELING
25%
0%
What Does Your Business Provide?
Where Are You Located?
How Often Do Customers Travel To You From Afar?
Would You Consider How Much Would You If So, What Reward Travelling To Geelong Donate To Support Would You Like For For Craft? The Development Your Donation? Of A Large Craft Orientated Community Hub?
12 _ Survey Summary
Lana Blazanin
Observations and Conclusion: Victorians are curious about craft - most passerby’s were stopping to look, ask questions and physically touch the temporary sculpture.
This allows for a confidence in designing a tactile project grabbing the attention of passerby’s revealing that craftspeople are not hidden (or overtaken by hipsters). The larger sculptures were more visible and therefore attracted more interaction. From this we could conclude that the project should develop to be fairly visible amongst it’s existing landscape to gain the initial attention and support required.
This project was fairly successful in gaining attention and formulating discussion/thought as to each individuals relationship with the crafts. I believe, it may have been more successful if the intervention was directly relateable to a real-life project. The ambiguity of the intervention made many people disregard it’s potential.
Alongside the various Handterventions, a short online survey was emailed to many craft associated businesses and people across Victoria, This industry specific survey was a simple way to generate first hand data relevant to creating a space especially for these type of businesses and people.
The responses were postiive in reinforcing the idea of relocating a large craft-orienated community hub beyond the metropolitan of Melbourne and into Geelong. Alongside positive results in regards to the success of the businesses and their range of customers, the sizeable donations they would be willing to donate is reflective of a strong and supportive industry. The ‘Do You Craft?’ survey is helpful in refining the audience and crowdfunding tactics. Whilst, the Handtervention was predominately a marketing test that enables for a definite understanding that the way to market this project through crowdfunding requires strong and clear visuals to engage and inform the prospective pledgers.
13 _ Observations & Conclusion
Lana Blazanin