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Hope against Hope
deadline: september 10 (postmark)

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Current Gallery and the Carroll Museums are teaming up to invite proposals for artworks that literally or metaphorically reference the Phoenix Shot Tower. We are accepting projects in any format, including but not limited to 2D and 3D works, videos, installations, performances, sound, workshops, cultural artifacts, lectures, poetry, and more. Please keep in mind viewers are limited to the first and second floors, and exterior. While projects are not subject to the same restrictions, viewers should be able to veiw or experience the work from these locations. This exhibition will take place at the Phoenix Shot Tower, opening October 8.

Download Application: PDF

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Notes and Pictures

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Links
http://www.carrollmuseums.org/history/towerhistory.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Shot_Tower

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From the theft of fire [by Prometheus], to contamination through water [Leviticus]; echoing the home of invention and the cornerstone laying by Charles Carroll of Carrollton; a commercial enterprise dissolves the myth of bullets and opens onto hope as poison at the bottom of Pandora’s box.

Scattering the fragments of history to the sound of falling water, this once tallest building in the US becomes a site of modest explorations and play.

Featuring site specific performances, video, drawing, installation, food, and lectures.

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Time Line

1775- William Watts, in Redcliff Hill (UK), converted home to shot tower

1782- William Watts Patented shot tower process

1807- Jefferson imposed the Embargo Act. (restricting foreign trade)

1808- US began making shot towers, first tower built in Philadelphia.

1828- Phoenix Shot Tower built (tallest building in the US)

· cornerstone placed by Charles Carroll of Carrollton (September 19, 1737 – November 14, 1832

· shot primarily used to hunt birds

1846- Phoenix Shot Tower height surpassed by Trinity Church, New York

1847- Merchant’s Shot purchases the Phoenix Shot Tower

1861–1865 American Civil War

· 1863 Battle of Gettysburg some shot from Merchant’s Shot Tower was used by the Union Army

1872- Merchants Shot Tower lightning rod replaced

1878- Fire guts the Tower on September 22, and the interior is rebuilt

1892- Shot Tower stops production

1900- Frank Cullen falls from top of the tower only slightly injured

1921- Shot Tower purchased by Union Oil Company to demolish and build gas station

1921- Shot Tower Park is proposed

1924- Shot Tower purchased by community and gifted to Baltimore City, Esso Station is built neighboring the tower

1968- William Watts’ Redcliff Hill(UK) home/shot tower destroyed for road-widening

1969 or 1973- Shot Tower becomes a national historic landmark

1976- Shot Tower is opened to the public as a museum

1978- Shot Tower Park is dedicated

1982- I-83 Interstate interchange to I-95 canceled

1995- Shot Tower reopens with new exhibition under the auspices of the Baltimore City Life Museum

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Here is that myth concerning pandora, in relation to hope and poison. Find it curious how easily the writer (Thomas Bulfinch) dismisses the poisonous aspects of hope.

“Woman was not yet made. The story (absurd enough) is that Jupiter made her, and sent her to Prometheus and his brother, to punish them for their presumption in stealing fire from heaven; and man, for accepting the gift. The first woman was named Pandora. She was made in heaven, every god contributing something to perfect her. Venus gave her beauty, Mercury persuasion, Apollo music, etc. Thus equipped, she was conveyed to earth, and presented to Epimethius, who gladly accepted her, though cautioned by his brother to beware of Jupiter and his gifts. Epimethius had in his house a jar, in which were kept noxious articles, for which, in fitting man for his new abode, he had had no occasion. Pandora was seized with an eager curiosity to know what this jar contained; and one day she slipped off the cover and looked in. Forthwith there escaped a multitude of plagues for hapless man, --such as gout, rheumatism, and colic for his body, and envy, spite, and revenge for his mind,--and scattered themselves far and wide. Pandora hastened to replace the lid! But alas! The whole contents of the jar had escaped, one thing only excepted, which lay at the bottom, and that was hope,. So we see at this day, whatever evils are abroad, hope never entirely leaves us; and while we have that, no amount of other ills can make us completely wretched.

Another story is that Pandora was sent in good faith, by Jupiter, to bless man; that she was furnished with a box, containing her marriage presents, into which every god had put some blessing. She opened the box incautiously, and the blessings all escaped, hope only excepted. This story seems more probable than the former; for how could hope, so precious a jewel as it is, have been kept in a jar full of all manner of evils, as in the former statement?”

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Property Transactions

Phoenix Shot Tower purchased by a competing shot company, Merchants’ Shot Tower, because of difference in political views
Purchase by Union Oil Company for demolition to build a gas station
Purchased by community to prevent demolition and gifted to the city of Baltimore
Registered as national landmark, which helped to prevent I-83 terminus (to I-95) from building through neighborhoods

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Hope against Hope (oppositional and idiomatic)

Invention: William Watts (occupation plumber) UK, gambled his home converting it to the prototype of the first shot tower, inspired by noticing dripping water
Hunting- human and animal
lead shot toxins spreading in animals (Group Seeks Ban on lead in Sporting Ammunition, New York Times August 3, 2010 ) “The petitioners counter that hunters and fisherman should not cause lead poisoning in animals they are not even seeking to kill”, “In June, the Army announced that it was shipping 1 million rounds of a new 5.56mm lead-free cartridge that had been in development for a decade to its troops in Afghanistan”
Height (tower of Babel?) (Industrial Monument)
Campaign Banner leading to the buy out by competing company
Corner stone laid by Charles Carroll of Carrollton (declaration) freedom
Myth of Cannon balls + bullets opposed to shot
Myth Prometheus / Pandora-- hope as poison (only thing saved in jar)
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More Notes

1. manufacturing shot primarily for hunting birds, much of which was used along the Eastern Shore. Some shot, however, was used by the Union Army at Gettysburg in the civil war.

2. tallest building in america from 1828 – 1846 (surpassed by Trinity Church, New York)

3. element of WATER as catcher of falling material (shot)

4. FIRE/connection to cooking/connection home/Nietzsche says the most important philosophical question concerns the theft of fire (BRINGING SOMETHING HOME)/mercury (the god of both thievery and commerce)

5. the flag, connection to home, politics, sports

6. circular building, circulating, “circle” is connected in language to the word “seek”/”search”. The area surrounding the shot tower was used for experimentation for inventions including a steam engine and “Fire Annihilator”

7. music possibilities

8. food possibilities

9. events through duration—dialogue, performance, workshops, dinners, etc

10. “spirits” Phoenix (mythical bird) connected to ideas of resurrection

11. question of HOME/FLAG/PROTECTION/ESSAY by Jean Amery (“how much home does a person need?”)

12. nearby examples i.e. church across street connected both to issue of homelessness/ “contamination”, as well as involvement in certification of shot tower as national land mark (to be followed up on)

13. DANGER OF BRINGING SOMETHING HOME (example from bible, in connection to water and contamination/example from nietzsche, in terms of being unknown to ourselves (we men of knowledge), since we’ve only ever been interested in bringing something home):

a. bible passage concerning danger of bringing something home (a seed put into the ground and then coming into contact with something considered to be contaminated, like a decaying body, is not understood to be thereby contaminated, only after the placing of water upon this planted seed, and thus welcoming it further into one’s home, does the seed become contaminated

b. nietzsche (from geneology of morals -- paraphrase): we are unknown to ourselves, we men of knowledge; not surprising ... all we’ve ever been interested in doing is bringing something home: honey gatherers of spirit.

14. OIL STAIN ON FLOOR OF SHOT TOWER, presumably from the once neighboring Esso (Exxon) Station

15. TOUCH (by definition contaminated)/FICTION (the word stems from a root which means to touch)/ARISTOTLE (touch is most important of all senses, involved in all senses, but then goes on to privilege sight, as it gives one the impression of being out of touch while in it, the scientific ideal of not contaminating that which one is observing through the observing (which they learned eventually to be impossible))

16. INTACT, to be whole, though literally meaning NOT TOUCHING/and so touch leading to a kind of fragmentation, or something not whole, IMPURE?/the desire for purity connected with the desire to be whole, security (protection) from foreign influence

17. Soft skin/necessity for wisdom (ARISTOTLE)/protection of vulnerability (soft skin/wisdom) as opposed to the protection of something closed off/gated community. SANITATION / SANITY / (INSANE / MADNESS --extreme foolishness , TOTAL? Folly -- comes from the same root for COMMON, mei-, to change, go move