Artistic director Simon Barley:

“Bambuco creates singular and visually arresting structures from bamboo. They appear over days or weeks; colossal, implausible.
The incongruity of a huge bamboo architectural form in the midst of familiar buildings and the dramatic images created by the aerial crew, combine in an event unlike any other.
After completion the entire structure vanishes rapidly, leaving an empty space that appears occupied, by an absence.”
 

“Although the size of the work is extraordinary, the installation is also experienced at a human scale: being assembled by an aerial crew, one stick at the time.” “Performance arises out of the process of construction and reflects the gesture of the structure itself.”

Simon has been designing performance spaces and building site specific installations for many years.
From 1992 onwards, an interest in lightweight structures gradually turned into research of bamboo construction techniques in S.E. Asia. And later turned into the study of structural design.

The final performance by Danceworks was a spectacular event. But the real drama appeared to lie in
the actual construction process.

Simon explored the possibilities of bamboo further. Developing and testing some innovative connection techniques.

In 1997 Simon Barley created, in collaboration with other artists, SHIP OF DREAMS. A project for the St. Kilda festival,  Melbourne.
This was a 16 metre long sailing vessel, made out of bamboo and cloth.
As part of the closing spectacle it was incinerated.
Special effects made the ship appear to be floating on a sea of fire.

In that same year, 1997, Simon founded Bambuco.
His goal: to take his bamboo installations to a worldwide audience.

Early 1998 Bambuco presented SCAFF at the Adelaide Festival and Performing Arts Market.
SCAFF was a collaboration with the performance group Five Angry Men.
Bambuco built a freestanding structure of two 15 metre intersecting arches. It replaced the steel scaffolding rig normally used by the performers.

Later that year the first construction of ARCH was presented in Manila.
Bambuco was part of a major cultural exchange celebration between the Philippines and Australia.
The building of ARCH was not without setbacks.
The passage of two typhoons delayed the delivery of bamboo by ten days.
To stay on schedule the upper part of the structure was simplified.
Nevertheless, the installation was a success.
The host, the Cultural Centre of the Philippines, used ARCH as the backdrop for it’s closing celebration.
 

February 1999, Bambuco was commissioned by Y-Space, a vertically inclined performance company of dancers and climbers, to construct FOREST; a simple installation of 40 x ten metre tall vertical poles planted into the ground to create a forest of sticks.
The group explored the aerial performance possibilities of the structure and has since toured to several festivals.

Bambuco’s successful appearance in Berlin has attracted the attention of festival organisers around the globe.
It is safe to say that Simon Barley’s dream of taking his installations to the world, is undoubtedly coming true.
 

Bambuco’s core members are: Simon Barley, Kylie Mitchell and Erik Pootjes.
Simon is the Artistic Director, Erik’s part is Construction Management and Kylie is the Production Manager. Roles tend to overlap.