BAMBUCO (Australia)
| Artistic Director | Simon Barley |
Simon Barley used to be an actor. This Australian actor’s favorite role, which he performed when he was 23, was Petya Trofimov. In addition to working in the theater, the artist studied art history, became a designer, made abstract sculptures, acquired a passion for mountaineering, was seriously injured in the mountains, could not walk, left the drama theater, but as soon as he was back on his feet, began practicing modern dance.
He found an application for all these diverse occupations in another favorite pursuit, creating structures out of bamboo. Simon learned this art in the Orient, on a trip to China, to Hong Kong. What prompted this new turning-point in his life-а journey to Asia and learning the unique technique of making structures out of bamboo? This is what Simon has to say about his choice: “While creating one of my first works as a designer, I thought about what it would be like to perform a play in the air, raising it, detaching it from the ground. I didn’t want to go the usual route of erecting a stage on the ground. In pursuit of this goal, I started looking for the lightest and strongest material”.
Barley and his group have been building gigantic structures out of bamboo, among which are The Arc, The Dias, and The Dream Boat.
The ability to dismantle any structure he creates (which takes approximately two weeks) is an absolute must for Barley. And no matter how many times he is asked to leave his structure up as he travels around the world, the Australian stubbornly refuses, and within three days, he and his team dismantle the recently assembled composition. This is not the designer showing the fickle side of his character, but the Bambuco Group's fundamental principle. And they are not doing it for reasons of economy (the bamboo is not used more than twice), but with the intention of transforming the urban environment.
The group’s architectural compositions contrast dramatically to the ordinary buildings arpund them and change the entire appearance of the street, quarter, bridge, or television tower. Erecting the structure is a spectacle in itself, drawing crowds of city- dwellers who gather to watch as it goes up. Simon often works with the Australian group, 5 Furious Men, and Moscow has not been left out of the picture. Barley was erecting a structure for this collective in the Hermitage Gardens.
For two weeks during the second half of June the Bambuco Group has been building a unique structure on the Moskva River in Moscow called The Ship of Fools, which will be the center for the Olympic Games closing ceremony.