Well, the show is over and all that’s left for the Trolly and Chips and the rest of FAIR is the de-installation which begins Monday. We all, I think, had a grand time and the Trolley and Chips served its purpose of becoming the hub of the FAIR and a place of both socialisation and contemplation.
The installation was reasonably straightforward. We brought the materials to the gallery to build both a stage (from pallets and plywood) and a bar (framed in 2x2s and covered in birch ply with an MDF top). It went together smoothly, with the help, advice and assistance of Tommy, the Talbot Rice’s top-notch technician. Once the bar was up and the stage was in place, we borrowed tables from the Playfair Library next door and then Eoin and TIm managed to borrow some stools from somewhere else. We printed my designs as A1 and A0 sized posters which decorated the walls. Tim had ordered the beer and cider which came in 30+ litter boxes. These we branded with our own labels which matched the posters on the wall.
The opening went quite well, we served about 300 cups (each cup was about 1/3 or 1/4 pint) of beer and cider and although we ran very low on the beers, we did not run out. People enjoyed our performers, Jess Ramm and Friends, The Funeral of J.D.A. Winslow, and Dan Mutch. We each took a turn behind the bar, so everyone was able to get out and mingle as well. Come 8:00pm when the gallery was supposed to close, they graciously allowed us an extra half hour since our last performer was not done yet. At 8:30 we managed to herd everyone out into the street where we headed to the Brass Monkey Pub to finish the celebrations.
Friday we had scheduled Speed Dating with Cindy (Cathrine’s alter-ego) in the afternoon, but we did not get enough interested parties. Instead, those who came spent the time either playing cards or conversing. Many interesting topics were covered that afternoon.
Saturday was the Pub Quiz, a six-round extravaganza developed by Laura, Cathrine and Suzy. My team did not win, but we had a lot of fun, and if they’d given points for creativity, we would definitely have taken a prize. Following the quiz, Rozita and Suzy settled down for some impromptu karaoke on the stage, using YouTube on an iPad to provide the soundtrack and the pub’s sound system to provide amplification. A good time was had by all. When the gallery closed at 5:00, those in attendance went to the Meadows, a nearby park, to take in the sunshine and try to finish off some of the remaining cider.
When we began this project, I had no idea how it would all come together. We all seemed to have a different vision of what the finished space would look like, and until we actually began the build within the gallery itself, I think we all had slightly different visions. Somehow, all six visions managed to combine to become a single, coherent collaboration which fit together beautifully. I think that with more time and budget we might have been able to create a grander looking aesthetic, but I feel we were quite successful. I am rather pleased with my own contributions to the pub, both during the planning stages and during the build. I will be sorry to take it down tomorrow.
Below are some photos of the show, from the start of the build through the opening and the two events.
Also, visit these blogs for some more photos of both our installation and the show in general:
Suzanne van der Lingen’s MFA Blog
The Theory Group’s Archive of FAIR: A Preparation for Something to Come
The Talbot Rice PhotoStream on Facebook