Escape Velocity by Chelsea O’Brian launches October 17 and runs to October 31 on the Canada Line video screens. One of 13 new public art projects commissioned by the City of Vancouver’s Public Art Program for Vancouver 125, Escape Velocity is the sixth in the 10 Seconds series of commissioned works for the Canada Line video screens as part of a yearlong project celebrating Vancouver 125.
Escape Velocity is a liberating flight of fancy. This 10-second film blends the speed and force of a helicopter with the magic, grace and beauty of a performer suspended in-the-air. Over the last 125 years we have evolved from a wooden shantytown to a city of concrete high-rises constantly exceeding the vertical limits of yesterday. What may seem inaccessible becomes possible as science, technology and the dreams of artists propel us towards new ways of seeing and experiencing the world in which we live. We will soon be flying around in personal jetpacks as we take off and land on 100-storey buildings.
Escape Velocity is dedicated to all those who have ever sat in a crowded commuter train wishing they could escape the urban hell and just fly away…
Chelsea O’Brian has worked in circus, dance, film, and theatre. While attending the National Circus School of Montreal, she invented the Aerial Kite and has developed its original technique. She has toured with Cirque Plume in France as an original cast member of L’Atelier du peintre, as well as participating in the show’s creation (2008-2010). From Vancouver, she is now based in San Francisco. She was most recently in Vancouver performing in the equestrian-based multidisciplinary show Cavalia.
Escape Velocity launches October 17 on the Canada Line subway video screens and on YouTube. A new work is featured each month on the Canada Line through March 2012, playing every 2 minutes to an audience of over 100,000 commuters per day. See previous projects Hippie Chick by Dana Claxton, Slash Forward by Michael Turner, One Percent by James Yan, Movement For Two Grannies by Laiwan, and An Ode To Vancouver Hockey Fans by Jeff Chiba Stearns on YouTube.
10 Seconds is curated by Paul Wong and presented by On Main in partnership with InTransitBC. Commissioned by the City of Vancouver Public Art Program with the support of Vancouver 125 and the participation of the Government of Canada.
The 2011 Public Art Program focuses on opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy unique images, objects and perspectives on Vancouver and British Columbia for the City’s anniversary year. Details about Vancouver’s Public Art Program can be found at the City of Vancouver website. The program has facilitated over a hundred projects in the past ten years, spanning large-scale permanent installations, design-team collaborations and artist-initiated artworks.
***
