Gelitin
Giant Pink Rabbit
2005
Zapf de Pipi
Participant in Moscow Biennale 2005
Gelitin was one of the exiting artist groups who participated in the first (and according to many the best) Moscow Biennale which took place in the beginning on 2005 with their project “Zapf du Pipi” at the former Lenin museum located immediately next to the Kremlin in Moscow. During the time of the actual installation I was asked by Gelitin if I wanted to produce an slightly un-usual project, named the Giant Pink Rabbit. The idea was to produce a huge pink rabbit out of natural materials and which was supposed to be located somewhere on the Italian Alps. As one can imagine; both the idea and location sounded indeed un-usual, perhaps even un-real and the time frame in which the project itself was supposed to be produced as well, namely the summer of 2005 ! Gelitin had already a location in mind in the Italian Alps, so at least that was a start. We went to the actual sight around the middle of April 2005 and to my asthonishment, people were still skying as there was still pleny of snow ! After visiting the location site we had a meeting with the major and other important people of the village itself to discuss the project itself and the contents connected to it. Except me and the Gelitin group, every body believed that it could be done and everybody was willing to collaborate, but focussing on the year 2006 and perhaps 2007 would even be better… but not during the summer of 2005. This was considered as too early and too complicated.
Me and Gelitin felt that it could be done during the summer of 2005 if the preparations could be started up immediately and if we could maintain a grip on the actual momentum of this exiting project. It was agreed with the chiefs of staffs of the village itself that we were allowed to make the attempt, if we would organize everything ourselves. The village (Artesina) would support us regarding accommodation & food facilities. Two weeks later I returned to this small and beautiful little Italian sky resort and started to produce the project, with only a dictionairy as partner (I don’t speak Italian).
It was for me one of the absolute high light of projects ever realized by me and the circumstances were perfect, 100 days of good weather (the only day it rained was on the opening), perfect food, working and sleeping in stunning settings of the Italian alps and a great production team (35 people with 15 different nationalities). The Giant Pink Rabbit was made not to last for ever but for a limited period of time (between 5 and 10 years) so that it would actually fade away and disappear altogether. The main reason why we used natural materials such as wood, straw, rope and wool.
But to cut a long story short; the project was a joy from the very beginning till the Giant Pink Rabbit was ready to be shown to the actual world ! An ongoing party of joy alltogether as the video compilation shows.
Video impression of Gelitin – Giant Pink Rabbit
Photo impression of Gelitin – Giant Pink Rabbit