Simple Description

Flash Crash was a collaborative installation and performance involving a large conical dirt pit installed in a small room. The pit was isolated by white walls on three sides, with the fourth closed in by a four foot wall over which the entirety of the dirt construction could be viewed. The dirt cone itself was constructed from adobe mud bricks coated with a smooth surface of mud, which was allowed to crack as it dried naturally. This earthwork, which was a sculpture in its own right, was also a racetrack for 1/10-scale radio controlled cars. During the opening reception viewers were invited to purchase refreshments served by a hired hot dog vendor who was working in the space, and then squeeze into an adjoining room containing the dirt track. Some people were able to get a close up view near the edge of the dirt arena, and others stood on wooden risers at the back of the crowd. My collaborator, Ian Williams, and I, wearing coveralls, walked into the space and climbed in to a wooden loft directly above the crowd. A man in a tuxedo shirt and bow tie, who we referred to as Mr. Agnew the chief steward, followed us, carrying a pair of very fast electric racecars covered in gold leaf, much like a waiter carrying plates of food. The cars were switched on, and after their motors were revved above the heads of the onlookers, they were tossed into the dirt. The cars were driven around the track at full speed to the thrill of the crowd.