The Dynamic Duo
The right partner can often be hard to find…professionally speaking. When searching for the right collaborator there are many options, but there are few who share the same vision, sensibilities, values and approach. When it does happen, it can be like capturing lightning in a bottle. Goric has found that type of partner in Coryn Kempster and Julia Jamrozik, the dynamic duo behind our Curvy Blocks. Their designs, art, and educational efforts align so closely with Goric’s mission and purpose that we even profiled them on the blog in 2019. The couple has found the ideal creative partners in each other, having collaborated since 2003 on projects that are exhibited around the globe. Based in Canada, the couple has produced temporary installations and exhibited public artworks at home and internationally; in Germany, France, Italy, South Korea and the U.S. to name a few.
Working with Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum and manufacturer JM Eagle the installation came together in approximately 4 months. Photo- Third Dune Productions
An Opportunity to Create and Educate
One of their most recent projects takes us to Denver, where they exhibited Pipelines, a temporary, outdoor, public art installation. Coryn and Julia were approached by Courtney Lane, director of Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum and curator of Denver’s Biennial of the Americas event. The event is an international festival of ideas, art, and culture that creates connection and inspires change across the Americas. Being involved in this project brought together not only Coryn and Julia’s varied backgrounds in architecture and art, but was the ideal opportunity to appeal to the heart of their work: social infrastructures, a practice that builds connection and fosters interaction in public spaces.
Being located right beside the Environmental Protection Agency was a perfect compliment to Pipelines‘ goal of sparking conversation about climate change and resource extraction. Photo credit- Third Dune Productions
The Perfect Site to Address Resource Management
“The way we approach every project is to try and first approach it with a with an open mind,” Coryn said. “We try to understand a little bit about the context of the site, so that’s a very physical thing, but we also need to understand the social context and the historical context.” One detail about the site where they would eventually exhibit Pipelines was its adjacency to the EPA regional headquarters. “That became the thing that got us excited to use the project as a way to talk about climate change and resource extraction.” Coryn added. They accomplished that by creating a structure that was comprised of 100 PVC water and sewer pipes highlighting the cyclical nature of resource management.
The technical expertise of JM Eagle was transformative in the creation of Pipelines . Photo – Third Dune Productions
Finding the Right Partner Changed Everything
In their search for a fabricator, Coryn found pipe manufacturer JM Eagle. It was a critical moment in the process that had a monumental impact. “Not only were we super excited and happy to have a manufacturer who was willing to work with us, but they also donated the pipes, they donated transportation of the pipes, and they gave us a ton of technical expertise,” Julia said. “That technical expertise, the knowledge of the material, and the knowledge of how pipes want to stack or don’t want to stack was transformative.” Coryn and Julia’s journey to bring Pipelines to fruition illustrates the importance of finding people who share your same vision and believe in something bigger. Pipelines served as social commentary on essential water circulation infrastructure, teaching visitors of the space about the importance of resource conservation.
Although the colors of the pipes make this installation aesthetically appealing they are actually industry standard to identify fresh water, sewage and grey water. Photo – Third Dune Productions.
A Lesson in Horizontal Recycling
On the subject of conservation, some people might see the words “art installation” in combination with colorful pipes and assume that the pipes were painted as part of the process. In reality, pipes are manufactured that way because of their unique color-coding system and live underground in color. Blue pipes carry potable water, green pipes carry waste or sewage, and pink pipes carry gray water, or the relatively clean water that has been used from baths, sinks, washing machines, and more. This allows the pipes to be properly sorted if they are ever unearthed and recycled. In fact, the biggest victory of all in working with JM Eagle was that they were able to take the pipes back and recycle them for reuse once the exhibition was over. Coryn and Julia learned about their process of “horizontal recycling,” a process that made working on an environmentally-friendly project even more rewarding–and appropriate to the project’s message of smart resource consumption and preservation.
An art installation with a purpose and for play- Photo – Third Dune Productions
Regular Recycling vs Horizontal Recycling
“Normally, if you recycle material, it gets downcycled,” Coryn explained. “For example, the stuff we put in our recycling bin, when you don’t know the provenance of it, it only gets downcycled into a lower quality material and will no longer be used. Whereas if you take something from a manufacturer, you send it back to them, and they know the chemical composition of what they’re recycling, they’re able to 100% chip it down and reuse that material in new pipes because they know exactly where it came from and what’s in it. ”It’s a practice that our team at Goric can appreciate, as the cyclical nature of resource management is deeply ingrained in our playground builds as well. Each of our manufacturers go to great lengths to conserve energy, purchase electricity from renewable sources, eliminate waste and use sustainable locally sourced raw materials.
To Coryn and Julia, people not being limited to how they will use an installation or how they will play in a space is the ultimate compliment of their work. Photo – Third Dune Productions
Unlimited Play Resulting in Unexpected Results
The educational impact of the installation along with the versatility of the space were a winning combination for this team. They were often surprised by how Pipelines was being utilized. “There was somebody who filmed themselves doing parkour, and we saw someone doing a boxing match between the pipes,” Coryn said. “It was gratifying to see how people were using it in ways I wouldn’t have predicted. The best possible outcome is for somebody to come along and use it in a way that we never imagined.” To Coryn and Julia, people not being limited to how they will use an installation or how they will play in a space is the ultimate compliment of their work.
Inspired by Dutch architect Aldo Van Eyck, Pipelines is intentionally designed in a minimalist way to stimulate children’s creativity. Photo – Third Dune Productions
Inspired by Simplicity
Coryn and Julia are greatly inspired by Dutch architect Aldo Van Eyck, who developed hundreds of playgrounds in Amsterdam after World War II. Van Eyck intentionally designed the spaces in a minimalist way to stimulate children’s creativity. Internalizing that concept and regarding Van Eyck as their guiding figure also expands the fun and play potential for visitors of all ages. “That versatility makes the space not only a space for children, but spaces for the entire population,” Julia said. “Projects become a kind of way to give something back to the people in the city.”
Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster, Pipelines, 2023. Site-specific installation composed of PVC water and wastewater infrastructure pipes. Plaza of the Americas, Denver, Colorado. Presented by the Biennial of the Americas with artistic direction by Black Cube Nomadic Art Museum. Courtesy of the artists and Black Cube. All Photos: Third Dune Productions.
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