BRIDGEPORT — Maria's Community Bar's parking lot will transform this weekend into a pop-up art gallery.
Like, literally pop-up, as the bar will have a giant, inflated balloon-like structure that will host avant-garde music performances, projections and forums.
The Spacebuster, a temporary structure that will transform the area into an "impromptu community zone," will inhabit the area outside Maria's, 960 W. 31st St., beginning Thursday and lasting until Saturday, according to organizers.
Sometime Thursday afternoon, organizers will construct the see-through, inflated bubble that will stand until at least Saturday night. Beginning Thursday night, the venue will host experimental music concerts, including a performance from a piano-playing robot. Other events include a silent video loop and collaborations with the Night Gallery, 3149 S. Morgan St.
The Spacebuster will be inflated Thursday afternoon. [Provided/Channel V Media]
The Spacebuster was created by the German design collective raumlaborBerlin and is meant to bring some of Berlin's thriving and cutting-edge music and art to the rest of the world. The mobile gallery seeks to bring art to the masses: it's inflated exterior is semi-translucent, so those on the outside can watch those on the inside, "a perfect conundrum of private and public space," according to the design collaborative.
This weekend's event in Bridgeport is the kickoff of the group's "We Like America" tour. Other stops are scheduled in St. Louis and New York City. The events are free and open to the public.
Check out the week's schedule of events. For more information, visit the event's Facebook page here.
Thursday and Friday:
• 6-9 p.m.: Experimental music pop-up lab, featuring Automaten, the piano-playing robot, and surprise guests
• 9-11 p.m.: Silent video loop expo
Saturday:
• Noon-4 p.m.: Experimental music jam session
• 4-6 p.m.: Neighborhood sound forum (open to all musicians)
• 6-9 p.m.: Experimental music pop-up lab
The Spacebuster will also join Archiecture Lobby and Night Gallery for satellite events on Saturday, though further details were not released.
About 80 people can fit inside the Spacebuster. [Provided/Channel V Media]
