Watch local artists and non-artists alike throw down in the second annual Sculpture Smackdown this Friday.
Competing teams will scramble to transform trash into treasures at the ART LAB on Friday, April 3, in the second annual Sculpture Smackdown.
This time, there will be twists.
At 6:30 p.m., when the battle begins, teams will arm themselves with hacksaws and staple guns and set off for their battlefield: a giant pile of garbage—a mountain of found materials oozing potential. Last year’s stockpile included a plastic rabbit missing its ears, fake flowers, a sign declaring “Permit Parking Only,” a headless mannequin with a super suave stance, and far more. The possibilities are endless, but time isn’t—teams will have just two hours to get creative with this cornucopia of chaos.
At the end of the inaugural Sculpture Smackdown last year, when the audience poured into the sculpture zone to admire the six artworks—sculptures of varying heights, shapes, colors, and compositions—ART LAB event coordinator Molly Davis knew the smackdown had to become a recurring event.
“I think most artists work primarily solitarily, making all the choices, so it was interesting to see the teamwork and the decision-making,” Davis says. “That’s a really different challenge for a lot of people. That element of teamwork is not always present—we don’t do a lot of group sculpture.”
Even as an audience member, you’re sure to get caught up in the chaos. Twist cards will shake up the game—teams could get the chance to steal from one another, or audience members might be selected to jump in and do some sculpting of their own.
The smackdown will take place during First Friday for the Arts, so in between checking out galleries and pop-up displays, stop in at the ART LAB to witness an energetic behind-the-scenes of the artistic process. Make your guesses at the thriftiest, tallest, sassiest, best engineered, and ugliest sculptures—as the night comes to an end, trophies made by local artists will be awarded to competitors. Judges include professors, local artists, and even a visiting sculptor from Georgia State University.
“For professional artists, this is an opportunity for them to let their hair down and have fun with it,” says Davis. “For the audience, it’s an opportunity to see how other people think differently and the way they make use of unexpected objects. It’s about being open to new ways of thinking.”
If you can’t make it to the smackdown, stop by the ART LAB through the month of March to see the final sculptures on display.
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