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 Wood, electronics, steel  Amy Franceschini Dan Allende  30' x 30' x 5' |
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  The People's Roulette is a temporary, public sculpture located in the Nashan District of Shenzhen, China. The inspiration for the piece began with an image of the 1950's Human Roulette at Coney Island, New York. When I was asked to propose a project for the Shenzhen, Hong Kong Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism I had certain ideas of what the city represented in terms of global capital and the changing economic landscape of China, but a book called Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler confirmed my remote musings. In looking at the economic reforms in China that led to a market-oriented mixed economy after the death of Mao Zedong, one of the outcomes was the creation of Special Economic Zones (SEZ's). The SEZ was formed to be an experimental ground for the practice of market capitalism within a community guided by the ideals of "socialism with Chinese characteristics". Rising from a small fishing village to a city of 10 million, Shenzhen has become an economic powerhouse and the largest manufacturing base in the world. It is also home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange as well as home to many mulit-national corporations. For the occasion of the Shenzhen, Hong Kong Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, The People's Roulette has been erected. An over-sized roulette structure measuring 30 feet in diameter hosts a 9 foot spinning center piece. The formal shape of the piece mirrors the literal aspect of Shenzhen as a sub-provincial or prefecture city as well as the physical layout of the city that is surrounded by the world renowned factory area. Passengers are invited to sit upon the center piece while an operator controls an increasing rate of rotation. Passengers must stay close to the center point or will be tossed off to the periphery which is lined with used tires. Circling the piece are spectators who wait in anticipation to participate and to see who will survive the spinning of the center stage. | |
