When the Accessibility Conveyor Belt Jams
A malfunction in Finnegan Shannon’s installation at Pioneer Works led to new insights.
Finnegan Shannon’s There's no me without you at Pioneer Works considers the fragility of systems and the consequences of their breakdown for disabled bodies.
The installation is a 12-foot-long square conveyor belt — think conveyor-belt sushi — in a maroon-carpeted room that carries and displays objects for visitors to interact with, from plush chairs to open spaces for individuals who can’t access the seating. Masks, accessible text, hand sanitizer, DIY air purifiers, and descriptive audio are also available, defining Shannon’s vision for an equitable, gentle engagement with art.
Three artists will be presented during the show’s run. For the first month, Ariana Martinez places small objects in dishes atop the moving presentation for visitors to pick up and touch. These small, tactile, fidget-like objects range from ceramic strips to masses of rope, all of which delight.
