Tower of Bagelon
For Joe Delappe's
Public Art class
June 2004
University of Nevada Reno
The concept of Tower of Bagelon was to illustrate the monumental waste related to edible goods
through a spectacle. Directly after most businesses closed we dumpstered bagels from
one location and brought them to the 5th floor of the largest public structure in downtown Reno.
After rigging up a sturdy cable we began compiling the dumpstered bagels vertically to lend new insight
into the huge amount of waste that occurs daily. The biproduct of our happening took on a beautiful
sculptural quality leading to the title of the work.
Aside from this specific project we researched bread waste in a broader spectrum for a large exhibition
at the University of Nevada Reno. Part of this investigation led us to collect bread products from
the Hostess Factory Outlet where we learned that a huge percentage of their supply gets resold to the
agricultural market. That means that a vast amount of cattle is eating Twinkies and Ho Ho's. Gross. I know.
The rest of the investigation led us to experiment with bread as a medium and an agent for change. No, I'm
not talking about fermentation. Ok, just enjoy the local NEWS report.
