Article by Kylie Williams
This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. There were many interesting exhibitions on display and the Brake Run Helix exhibition by EJ Hill was the most interactive. This exhibition included several works ranging from colorful and textured wall hanging pieces, to free standing sculptures, to a massive installation of a roller coaster.
EJ Hill is a contemporary artist who was born in Los Angeles, California in 1985. He studied at Columbia College Chicago and UCLA. His work at Mass MoCA evokes a child-like joy that focuses on bright colors, interesting textures and visual symbols of amusement park rides. The exhibition also focuses on social connotations of desegregation efforts in the United States which occurred in areas of recreation, specifically amusement parks. Hill is showcasing roller coasters as a symbol of racial equality.
Painting by EJ Hill, Image sourced from @massmoca
Brake Run Helix is located in the 5th Building at Mass MoCA. Upon entering the space, wooden structures appear as disassembled amusement park rides, with large doodle-like symbols in neon pastels. The several free standing structures have carriages, however they were visually impossible to ride, creating contradiction through the work. Despite having multiple structures on view within the room, the building was regularly vacant of people, which created an eerie quietness throughout the exhibition. Other pieces within Brake Run Helix include paintings with bright colors depicting simply drawn roses and roller coasters, as well as more luxurious materials of hung green and pink velvet fabrics with dangling pearls.
EJ Hill’s exhibition at Mass Moca’s 5th Building, Image sourced from @iheartbeuys
The star of Brake Run Helix is a rideable roller coaster titled Brava! which is located towards the back of the room. The piece is a continuous loop connecting the upper balcony of the second floor to the lower level of building 5. Brava! allows one rider per hour and tickets to participate are booked 6 weeks in advance, which is why I booked my tickets as soon as I saw an opening.
Riding Brava! was a collective experience amongst all visitors at Mass MoCA. The ride itself stayed true to the typical roller coaster experience, having a large drop at the beginning and quickly whipping around a few turns. However, unlike roller coasters at amusement parks which have several carriages that go off together, Brava! only allows one individual to ride at a time. Because of the exclusivity of participating, the ride is more of a performance piece than interactive ride for the majority of visitors. Every hour when the coaster goes off, a surplus of people pile into the room. The once eerily empty room fills with wandering eyes and excited viewers standing behind a green velvet fence. As the vessel descends from the balcony of the second floor, the crowd gasps. Then when the ride comes to a stop, there’s an applause. After riding the coaster, many viewers asked me how it was and occasionally someone would call me “coaster girl”. It's abundantly clear that the viewers had just as much fun seeing the coaster as the rider did riding. The roller coaster is a stage for the rider to become art, projecting joy and excitement out into the crowd. Brava! symbolizes union, showcasing how despite differences, all people crave happiness.
EJ Hill’s Brava! In action
