Work in 'Semi-Automatic' Exhibition Memorializes Victims of Mass Shootings

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An atmospheric drawing that is part of the "Semi-Automatic" exhibition, which runs Oct. 21 through Nov. 20 in Vol Walker Hall.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — An exhibition that memorializes victims of mass shootings through architecture will be on display Oct. 21 through Nov. 20 in the Fred and Mary Smith Exhibition Gallery in Vol Walker Hall on the University of Arkansas campus. It is presented by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design.

The exhibit, called Semi-Automatic, will focus on shootings that have happened in the United States since the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999. This exhibit was created by Marc Manack, assistant professor of architecture, and Frank Jacobus, associate professor of architecture, both in the Fay Jones School.

Motivation for the work came from the increased frequency of mass shooting occurrences, along with the "disturbing shortening cycle of shock, grief, loss and forgetfulness" that accompanies each of these events.

The use of contemporary technologies in architecture has expanded capacities for formal experimentation and building science innovation. These developments are often associated with creative expression and high-performance building, yet are rarely used for responding to social issues and influencing social commentary.

The memorials in this exhibit were created with two overarching ideas in mind. One is that all the shootings have commonalities between them, so the exhibit's creators determined that the memorials should maintain some resemblance to one another. Then, there is the idea that each of these events is an extremely personal, human tragedy that is unique for each person involved. This meant that each cenotaph — or memorial — had to be distinctly designed for that location and the specific tragedy that occurred there.

They achieved these goals by designing the cenotaphs using a rule-based algorithm that creates a new form from the different information entered for new mass shooting. This process means that each event gives the individual cenotaphs a nuanced formal make-up, while tying this information to a specific form creates an aesthetic consistency for all of the cenotaphs.

The title Semi-Automatic was chosen due to the rapidity of these memorials being placed in their new sites and based on the script that semi-automatically generates new forms.

The exhibition will feature 200 cenotaphs, of the possible 216 mass shootings that have occurred since the shootings 16 years ago in Columbine, Colorado. These are modeled after Boullee's Cenotaph for Isaac Newton. For the exhibit, the cenotaphs will be displayed as three-inch diameter acrylic spheres that will be floating at eye level in a dense cluster. There also will be several scale models, a large-scale section drawing and a series of 18-by-24-inch atmospheric drawings, each dedicated to a separate mass-shooting event.

The final memorials will be installed shortly after any new event occurs, with the three-dimensional printed constructs air-lifted into place. This means that the memorials will be situated before the site of the new shooting is cleared of security personnel. This process positions architecture as both playing a role in direct social commentary and in its continued ability to be a meaningful player in creating cultural images and forms that can act as provocations of social consciousness.

Manack's current research interests are in re-positioning computation's disciplinary agenda, namely the reciprocity between compositional and computational design methodologies. Jacobus' research centers primarily on information exchanges, visualization and the impact of emerging technologies on architectural practice and production. They also are both principals in SILO AR+D, an architecture and design firm.

The exhibition gallery is located on the first floor of Vol Walker Hall, and it is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.