Spacebuster by Raumlabor
(Above: Kitchen Monument by Raumlaborberlin with Plastique Fantastique, Duisburg, Germany 2006, photo by Marco Canevacci) 

Spacebuster is a mobile inflatable structure – a portable, expandable pavilion – that is designed to transform public spaces of all kinds into points for community gathering. A new iteration of a past Raumlabor project, the Küchenmonument (presented in Europe in 2006-8), the Spacebuster will make its first appearance in the US this evening and will travel throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn for 10 consecutive evenings hosting various community events. 

The pavilion is comprised of an inflatable bubble-like dome that emerges from a step van that also houses the compressor that keeps the Spacebuster inflated. The dome expands and organically adjusts to its surroundings, be it in a field, a wooded park, or below a highway overpass. The material is a translucent plastic that allows the events taking place inside of the shelter – screenings, lectures, dinners or discussions – to be entirely visible from the outside. Likewise the exterior environments become the events’ backdrops. 

Each of these ten evenings will be organized in conjunction with a community group, nonprofit organizations, university, or arts organization. Events will include artist talks, film screenings, communal dinners and many other events.

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