Giants are Sleeping

Giants Are Sleeping aims to reflect the identity, transformation, and ownership of one Chicago electrical substation. Exploring the relationship between human memory and architecture, the installation pairs an interview with Kenneth Corrigan, a bookseller who inhabited the abandoned electrical substation in 1984, with a charcoal animation that uses substation photo archives as its main reference. Drawing techniques are the vehicle to convey symbolic connections that link the historical aspects of these buildings, while the radio becomes the narrative’s voice over.

Electrical substations can be seen as living organisms now fossilized by new technologies. Nevertheless, historically they represented a step forward in modernity’s achievement of energy equality for working class citizens. Their development and configuration generated questions concerning the role that electric light and power could have in transforming society. These substations became a familiar landmark in the neighborhood, though hidden and deceptive, not inhabited by humans.

This was a project commissioned by GRIDS an art series from Radius.

The animation can be view in here

The photo gallery of the installation here

The installation has been presented at:

Comfort Station, Chicago Illinois

Cara Cosmic Cafe, London UK

Lancaster Institute of Arts, Lancaster UK