Crimson Collective at Coachella
Author:Lindsey ShookI was just starting to come to terms with the mile-long list of my favorite bands that I would miss by skipping Coachella this year. Then I heard about “Ascension,” the latest project from L.A. art and design consortium Crimson Collective. Like The xx and La Roux, a friend tuned me onto the work of the Crimson Collective before they were huge, and I would have loved to see this project live.
“Ascention” is 150-foot wide, 45-foot tall white origami crane symbolizing a universal message of peace and crafted from massive planes of white fabric and a modular aluminum tension skeleton. Solar panels harvest the scorching sunlight during the day to power the moody colored lights that illuminate the structure at night.
The 100-plus components and over 7,000 square feet of sunshade material that make up the crane can be dismantled and shipped in one 40-foot shipping container to a new site anywhere around the world.
The Crimson Collective’s mind-blowingly creative designs raise funds and awareness for homelessness (through their organization Crimson Society), and where better to debut their newest work than an event that forces thousands of pampered young adults to sleep on the ground and strategically plan their bathroom breaks?
Come to think of it, I have made peace (thanks, crane) with sticking around SF this weekend.
Watch an animation of the crane’s assembly here.
