Héctor Zamora OG -107 Scenery, 2012 Installation: 8 parachutes and blowers Site-specific dimensions Héctor Zamora (1974, Mexico City, Mexico. Lives and works in São Paulo, Brazil). “OG-107” refers to the official olive green color used by the United States military from 1952 until 1989. On an exploratory trip to the Arizona desert, Zamora was startled to hear the boom of tactical bombing practice by fighter jets. He felt that the military activity and threat of violence, albeit perceived, lay in stark contrast to the isolated, tranquil landscape. OG-107 Scenery is a study of contrasts. Instead of descending from the sky, these parachutes remain aloft, thanks to the air currents generated by the fans. Counteracting the lively dance of the round parachutes (nicknamed “jellyfish chutes” in the military) the suspension lines are restraining them. The piece – originally commissioned by SMoCA (Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art), and exhibited at an airplane hangar – addresses the vast presence of the United States military infrastructure spread across the state. Hector Zamora has made public space a significant part of his practice. His works often blend the situational and the surreal, encouraging the inhabitants and users of a space to see anew its specific architectural character. Zamora’s interventions are playful in their seriousness and ironic in their humor.
