From packing tape to playable art: Tapescape comes to the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
Few people equate packing tape with anything more than a utilitarian way to get a job done.
Yet, when Eric Lennartson gets his hands on it, the ordinary product transforms into something extraordinary. Visitors can experience the contemporary artist’s immersive sculpture Tapescape at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh through May 10.
An artist and architect, Lennartson was inspired by large-scale tape installations created by Numen/For Use, a European architecture and industrial design collective. Since then, he has created site-specific Tapescape installations at venues across the U.S. and around the world.
For the Pittsburgh installation, Lennartson used 515 rolls of clear packing tape-a mind-boggling 16 miles of the sticky stuff. Stretched over a steel frame, the tape relies on its tensile strength to form a walkable, crawlable environment that delivers a full-body, multisensory experience. The structure invites curiosity from both children and adults and even offers the added benefit of engaging large muscles that may have gone underused in the winter months.
This marks the fourth iteration of Tapescape at the museum-the first appearing in 2013.
The Making of Tapescape
Lennartson starts out each installation with a scaffold. Anne Fullenkamp, senior director of creative experiences at the museum, describes the process as constructing a skeleton with cling wrap as a temporary structural step, then layering it with tape.
“When the tape is pulled, it forms tubes, tunnels and bridges. It’s a wonderful example of engineering and geometry,” she said.
When the tape is stretched tight, the surface becomes strong enough to support human weight, allowing visitors to crawl, slide and explore within the structure.
Creating the sculpture-equal parts artwork, playground and exploration maze-is a team effort. Lennartson spent 10 days onsite, taping for about eight hours a day alongside 10 volunteers from PNC, Duquesne Light and Highmark Wholecare.
The reaction
Inspired by Pittsburgh’s bridges and terrain, Lennartson designed this version of TAPESCAPE with passageways, bridges, tunnels, and an inclined side. “It was exciting to see how this complex 30-foot long, 10-foot wide and 12-foot-tall structure was formed in just a matter of days,” Fullenkamp said.
The hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) experience helps visitors learn about material properties like tensile strength and elasticity simply by interacting with the installation.
Initial reactions have been enthusiastic. “Parents view it with a sense of wonder and the kids want to dive right in. They love when they learn it will hold their parents too,” Fullenkamp said.
The two-level environment resembles elements found in nature like webs, caves and winding terrain. Children are often inspired to experience it once, then return for further exploration.
“We’re hearing parents promising their children that they’ll return later for more,” Fullenkamp said.
While Tapescape is ideal for children aged 3 to 12, babies have also explored it.
“The lower-level caves are great for crawlers,” Fullenkamp said.
Families can expect to spend about a half-hour in the exhibit, making it an ideal mid-visit energy burner before or after lunch. Socks are recommended for the best experience.
The installation also lends itself to eye-catching photography and visitors are encouraged to share images using the hashtag #TAPESCAPEPITTSBURGH
Tape tie-Ins
Complementary programming that ties into the TAPESCAPE theme include classes on making tape shadow puppets and luminaries, tape collagraph printmaking, tape fashions, bridge building with tape and more.
In the coming weeks, visitors will also encounter 3-D tape installations from artists Jessie Glaser, Jason McKoy and Patrick Schmidt, the latter of whom is a professor of art at Washington & Jefferson College, along with a collection of 2-D art made of various types of tape. Some featured artists will offer hands-on workshops allowing visitors to create alongside them.
For details on Tapescape, related classes and more, visit The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh website at pittsburghkids.org or call 412-322-5058.