Story of Simon Birch
People often ask about my inspirations and how I developed @the14thfactory. This is my story...
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We closed after just a few short months and one of the nicest things that happened was on the last day. LACMA director Michael Govan asked for a tour and I spent hours walking the show and explaining it all. It was a big deal as I'm a huge fan of his brilliant project, DIA Beacon.
He was so impressed with the show that LACMA acquired part of the project for their permanent collection. A huge compliment!
The other great thing was that The Smithsonian in Washington asked to borrow the 2001 room which I was more than happy to do. A rare contemporary art installation for them, it was remarkable to see it in that fantastic Space and Aeronautical Museum.
I went there for the opening to speak along with my bro, genius 14thF composer Gary Gunn.
After we closed The 14th factory, I collapsed from exhaustion and was rushed to hospital, I got double pneumonia and spent a week in the ICU. Lovely.
But onwards and upwards and started scouting for space in London, Chicago, Washington, San Fran Disco, looking for ways to build a follow-up project.
We committed to a year in London working on one particular site, the empty site that was once Earls Court Exhibition Centre, with the help of Zaha Hadid Architects. We planned to build a temporary structure. We worked hard to find strategic partners, team and finance to make it happen. But the landlord pulled out after a year and that was it. They sold the site and the new owner wouldn't let the project happen.
This is a brief description of a huge effort by myself and many others that ended in failure. A year of my life where I really worked my ass off every day, problem-solving, pitching, innovating, networking, for 14thF 2.0, and being rejected.
We had lined up amazing education partnerships, planned workshops and incubator projects, community outreach programs...but after a year, it was canceled. The land is still empty today. We tried multiple other venues but nothing worked.
After surviving LA, and so much encouragement, this was upsetting.
Photos of Smithosian install, me and Michael Govan last day of 14thF LA, and then London plans, on site, team 14thF, and a couple of back up locations, none of which worked out.
