NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 2019: PINK BEASTS BY FERNANDO LAPOSSE
The Design District has chosen London based Mexican designer Fernando Laposse for the 2019 Neighborhood Commission. The installation will consist of strands of pink sisal tassels suspended through the trees guiding visitors to discover a collection of pink hairy sloths hanging from ropes, trees and arches. In collaboration with textile designer Angela Damman, the installation will also incorporate ten sculptural hammocks which will hang on metal structures and directly on palm trees for public use. The mesmerizing pink landscape of Pink Beasts is achieved by dying the sisal fibers with natural dyes made from cochineals, tiny parasitic insects native to central Mexico which grow on the Opuntia cactus. Producing the world’s brightest natural red dye, the cochineals used in Pink Beasts are from an organic farm in the mountains of Oaxaca and handmade by a community of Mayan women weavers of Sacabah, Yucatán, including the production, cleaning and dying of the sisal. By interacting with Pink Beasts, visitors can be reminded that there are still sustainable and organic ways of achieving vibrant color. Moreover, Pink Beasts showcases the versatility of Fernando Laposse’s work.
