What do you see in used scrap material? Designers Ann Ha and Behrang Behin saw a work of art. Their Behin Ha Design Studio LLC was commissioned to create a temporary shade structure by the Pomerene Center for the Arts in Coshocton, Ohio.
The setting was artPark, created by the Pomerene Center at the site of a burnt-down hotel in Coshocton to create an appealing space at an otherwise blighted site. The goal for the art installation, called Coshocton Ray Trace, was to involve the community in its construction, use local recycled or upcycled materials and create a meeting space for the neighborhood.
The design used light ribbons of coated mesh fabric scrap material in an attention-getting orange. The fabric, trimmings leftover from the manufacturing process, was supplied by Snyder Manufacturing in nearby Dover, Ohio.
Behin Ha made sure that the assembly of the structure was easy enough for community members to help. Local contractors prepped the space and tensioned the strips of material between an existing steel balcony structure and the ground by stapling them in place. The anchoring at the top and bottom created a twist in the ribbons, which made the installation more transparent at eye level and more opaque for shading toward the south.
The installation provided a welcoming space for the entire summer. For more information, visit www.behinha.com.