Homouroboros in San Francisco

BRAF is proud to support the exhibition of Peter Hudson’s Homourorboros at the Exploratorium‘s new location on Pier 15 in San Francisco. The piece will be present for a limited engagement, October 24 2013 through January 6, 2014.  The public can interact with the piece from 10am to 10pm daily. No museum admission is necessary.  The Black Rock Arts Foundation exhibited Homouroboros in San Jose in 2008 and we are thrilled to give the public in the Bay Area another chance to interact with it.

Homouroboros by Peter Hudson
Pier 15 in San Francisco
698 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94111
October 24, 2013 – January 6, 2014
monkeys-night

About the Artwork

At 24 feet tall, the work’s tree-like steel frame and mushroom-cloud-shaped canopy is an attention-getter. 18 human-sized monkeys dangle from its branches. By pounding on drums built into the base of the trunk, visitors cause the top of the tree to spin, turning the monkeys on their branches into a vision-bending arboreal escapade. Strobe lights at night, and special goggles during the day, complete the Homouroboros experience – a phenomenon of the eye called “persistence of vision” that turns the 18 monkeys into a three-dimensional motion picture. The monkeys appear as a single, animated monkey, snatching an apple from the mouth of a serpent slithering down a branch. Close inspection reveals that the mouth of the serpent is really in the shape of a human hand.

“The phenomenon inherent in the piece is resonant with many exhibits we have in the museum,” says Melissa Alexander, Director of Public Programs at the Exploratorium.  “But one of the things that makes it so appealing is not visibly apparent, but no less inspiring. Peter [Hudson] is always quick to tell you he doesn’t do this by himself, it’s a collaborative effort. Perhaps that’s what excites us the most about Peter and his work – he attracts a wonderful army of creative volunteers who organize around him to bring each of his pieces to fruition. It’s another way to think about art, community and civic participation.”

“We are thrilled to support the exhibition of Peter Hudson’s wonderful and whimsical work in front of the Exploratorium,” says Tomas McCabe, Executive Director. “It creates a great opportunity to extend the audience for the work, and to captivate the residents and tourists on San Francisco’s waterfront.”

About the Artist

Self-identified as a “blue-collar artist,” Hudson created Homouroboros with the help of more than 50 volunteers for Burning Man 2007.  He channels his technical and set design experience, childlike curiosity, and creative passion into life-size stroboscopic zoetropes. In 2000, Peter debuted his first major installation, Playa Swimmers, at Burning Man. 2002 ushered in the large scale, stroboscopic zoetropes for which Peter has become known. To date, Hudson has created 7 large-scale installations at Burning Man, some of which, including Homouroboros, have been exhibited in other civic spaces. To learn more about Hudson’s work go to www.hudzodesign.com