Kickstarter

UPDATE #1: We are currently operating on a $0 budget, therefore we are asking for your help to present this internationally-know artwork for the first time ever in the artists' hometown of Taos, NM!

Created by artist Christian Ristow, and presented in collaboration with Christina Sporrong, the Hand of Man is a gigantic, hydraulic, interactive robotic sculptural replica of a human hand -- strong enough to pick up (and subsequently smash) a car. Hand of Man is performed at art and music festivals worldwide and can be easily operated by any member of the audience.

This September marks the first time Ristow's work has been exhibited in his hometown of Taos, NM, and will be presented as part of ISEA2012 "Taos Day," with major support from the Town of Taos.

Ristow has been building mechanical art since childhood. In the early 1990s, coinciding with an association with the seminal art collective Survival Research Laboratories, he began building large scale robotic works and performing in front of audiences across the U.S. Beginning in late 1990s and extending into the 2000s, Ristow enlarged his stable of performance robots and began working under the name Robochrist Industries. In 1998, artist Christina Sporrong began Spitfire Forge, a metal shop and women's welding workshop in Taos.

With your help, Hand of Man will be presented on September 27, 2012, near Kit Carson Park in Taos, NM, for ISEA2012 "Taos Day." Audience members have the opportunity to operate the Hand of Man, crushing cars and other props. Ristow, Sporrong, and their crew will be on-site to give an artist presentation and demonstrations.

Kickstarter funds raised will cover remaining costs for essential crew, installation, and operations for the ISEA2012 "Taos Day" Hand of Man performance and presentation.

ISEA2012 "Taos Day" is a related activity of ISEA2012 Albuquerque: Machine Wilderness, Re-envisioning Art, Technology, and Nature.