A community favorite is back again for another year of creativity. Marblehead architect Tom Saltsman has created yet another art installation for this Halloween, titled “2124.”
Saltsman has been creating these larger-than-life installations for nearly two decades now, beginning back when his kids were at the Coffin School in Marblehead. The school held a “Monster Mash” as Saltsman called it, where he would create these installations for the kids.
This year, he decided to put his own play on the ever-evolving technology involved in today’s society.
Though he regularly comes up with his ideas in August, this one in particular had been sitting in the back of his mind.
“I mean I knew I wanted to do a robot at some point,” he said. With his idea formed, he began bringing it to fruition in September and ultimately creating the installation seen today.
At Saltsman’s home, a giant, light-up head can be seen emerging from his garage, capable of representing expressions and facial movements. Beside the giant head stands a human-sized robot tethered to a dog, “which is actually based on a mite,” Saltsman said.
“What would the next 100 years be like, in particular with the context of historic homes?” he added. “My house was built in 1832, back when there was no electricity and no cars, and you know things were very different. This is kind of a play on that.”
That is also where the name “2124″ stems from, taking a look into the future and the next 100 years.
In prior years, Saltsman has created massive installations including a smoke-breathing dragon engulfing his garage, a 22-foot-tall gorilla, a nearly 20-foot translucent walking man, and an enormous pirate ship. Last year, the display featured a huge, sleeping troll and an eerie woodland that patrons could go inside and explore.
Though this year may not be as grand in size to his prior installations, it certainly is in complexity. Unlike his previous projects, this one includes mainly robotics, which was new for Saltsman. There were a lot of moving parts and multiple different sketches and ideas before this one initially came to life.
Susan Wheeler, a Marblehead citizen who lives near Saltsman, had positive reviews for the architect’s past installations. She and her family are planning to see this year’s installation at night, when it is best viewed.
“The one last year was unbelievable, the troll, because he was visibly breathing in and out.” Wheeler said. “Everyone in my family knows about it and I have a friend that comes over every year to see it.”
While the community enjoys seeing his installations, he enjoys their reactions as well. “It’s definitely rewarding when people get a kick out of them and enjoy them,” he said.
As mentioned, the installation can best be seen when the sun goes down. Saltsman even said he has a few more light additions to make for Halloween. “It’s all about connectivity, I have these bars that kind of connect everything and ultimately into the light pole.”
To see more of Saltsman’s work, visit saltsmanbrenzel.com
