Marcon builds “Disappearing Wall” at the famous Titanic Slipways
Marcon has helped create a must-see, interactive art installation at Titanic Quarter, Belfast. Northern Ireland will join a number of European countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Greece to host The Disappearing Wall, an interactive art installation that celebrates Europe’s diversity of languages and ideas.
Belfast is the only city within the UK to host the installation which is based on an idea proposed by Maria Jablonina in a workshop carried out by the architect and engineer Werner Sobek and initiated by the Goethe-Institut.
The Disappearing Wall will be on display at the slipways in front of the iconic Titanic Belfast, from October 21 to November 11.
Appointed by Urban Scale Interventions, Marcon was responsible for the manufacture and installation of the plexiglas frame wall and the manufacture of 6,000 wooden blocks laser etched with famous quotes collected by the Goethe-Institut earlier this year via local contests across Europe. The wall is being produced by Urban Scale Interventions in partnership with Catalyst Arts who delivered a month series of workshop and engagement around themes of breaking down boundaries.
Visitors to the wall are invited to take home a block which will contain one of a wide range of quotes, from the likes of Albert Einstein, Adorno, Rosa Luxemburg, Sartre and Jonas Mekas, to Beatles’ lyrics and lines from Winnie the Pooh or the film Amélie.
As more and more blocks are removed, the Wall will ‘disappear’ with only the clear Plexiglas grid that held them remaining.
Mark McElroy, Director, Marcon, comments: “We thoroughly enjoyed playing a role in bringing The Disappearing Wall to Belfast. For Belfast to host an international programme such as this is a great achievement. We wish everyone involved with the project every success and look forward to seeing the wall disappear”
Jak Spencer, Urban Scale Interventions, CEO, concludes: “We are proud to help bring The Disappearing Wall to Belfast as it is an important project for NI as we celebrate our country’s diversity. Encouraging visitors to take away inspirational and thought-provoking quotes and therefore dismantling the wall to leave a clear view across the city symbolises how we can come together to break any barriers that are holding us back.”
Katharina von Ruckteschell-Katte, Director of the Goethe-Institut London, adds: “We are delighted to bring The Disappearing Wall to Belfast and to such an iconic location. This installation will not only celebrate Northern Ireland’s diversity but also the potential to symbolically overcome borders visible and tangible.”
Those who cannot travel to Belfast to visit The Disappearing Wall on October 21 – November 11 will have the chance to receive a block of history by registering their interest at www.facebook.com/TheDisappearingWallBelfast where wooden blocks will be set aside for this purpose.
Other cities to host the The Disappearing Wall include Antwerp, Barcelona, Brussels, Gdansk, The Hague, Madrid, Milan, Namur, Nicosia, Poznan, Segovia, Thessaloniki, Turin, Vilnius and Warsaw.
