Skip to content

Helix: Thoughts

Category: Center for the Future of Museums Blog

While we gave you lots of information leading up to our visit to Houston, where we featured Tracy Hicks and his installation of Helix: Scaffolding #21211, we really haven’t shared nearly enough information about the end result.

So here are a few thoughts, I’d be quite interested in hearing what other attendees took away from the piece as well as thoughts from those who weren’t able to see it in person.

  • It was fascinating to watch Helix: Scaffolding #21211  transform from 

 to

Skip over related stories to continue reading article

  • Hicks’ Exquisite Corpse films, including this one, added another layer to the installation, forcing the viewer to no longer look at Helix as a stationary piece, but rather fluid. It also didn’t hurt that the music accompanying this videos was exceptionally haunting.
  • Watching attendees interact with Helix was also a treat, each beaker seemed to contain another treasure (including cicadas, snake vertebrae and frogs) to explore. Having this piece loom over you (it was approximately 9 1/2 feet high!) also started making you feel quite small in the face of science.

Please be sure to visit Tracy Hicks’ website as well to see more photos of the installation and other thoughts on the piece.

-Guzel duChateau
AAM New Media Specialist & CFM Program Coordinator

AAM Member-Only Content

AAM Members get exclusive access to premium digital content including:

  • Featured articles from Museum magazine
  • Access to more than 1,500 resource listings from the Resource Center
  • Tools, reports, and templates for equipping your work in museums
Log In

We're Sorry

Your current membership level does not allow you to access this content.

Upgrade Your Membership

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Field Notes!

Packed with stories and insights for museum people, Field Notes is delivered to your inbox every Monday. Once you've completed the form below, confirm your subscription in the email sent to you.

If you are a current AAM member, please sign-up using the email address associated with your account.

Are you a museum professional?

Are you a current AAM member?

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription, and please add communications@aam-us.org to your safe sender list.