(un)bound is an exploration of air as a material embodiment of the public sphere. It is also an experiment that pushes the boundaries of site-specificity and public art.Â
Clairton PA, located 20 miles south of Pittsburgh is home of the largest coke-to-coal manufacturing plant in the U.S. The area is known for having very high levels of particulate matter and other pollutants in the air. In this project, large amounts of compressed air were captured in Clairton via an air compressor and then brought into the gallery space. Using industrial machinery, this air was packaged into bubble wrap and audience members were invited to ship it in small boxes to different locations around the world, tracking the movement of the packages through an online platform.
Miller Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University. 2013. Video Documentation:
Still images from the video:
Images from the installation: