The Current Underneath
As a part of the launch of The Trail Conservancy’s Arts + Culture plan in May of 2023, TTC teamed up with local art collective dadaLab to create a site-specific laser installation, The Current Underneath. The piece was installed inside the former water intake facility of the Seaholm Power Plant, future site of the Seaholm Waterfront Building.
The dadaLab team activated one of the intake facility’s massive underground concrete chambers by designing slowly evolving laser-light elements that could be viewed from above and emitted outward from the chamber above the viewer’s heads. The piece paid tribute to the history of the facility by creating liquid effects with the lasers to emulate the water that used to run through it. Community members were invited to come see the installation, hear music from local musicians, and learn more about The Trail Conservancy’s Arts + Culture Program.
The Seaholm Intake is an iconic Art Deco building that once was the pump house for the Seaholm Power Plant, which operated until 1989. In 1996, Austin City Council authorized the decommissioning of the plant and all the associated buildings in preparation for future adaptive reuse.
In the fall of 2016, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and key partners discussed strategies to achieve the greatest public benefit for the Seaholm Intake and surrounding parkland that could best harness the energy and resources of the non-profit and philanthropic sector. In 2018, Austin City Council approved the Seaholm Waterfront concept plan. Full access to the Intake will begin upon completion of Phase 2 of the plan, bringing the facility to life and providing the amenities and maintenance needed for daily operations. The Trail Conservancy launched a $15,000,000 capital campaign in late 2023 to fund Phase 2 and will begin the construction of this phase once the campaign goal has been reached.
Check out our Arts + Culture webpage to learn more about our on Trail Arts + Culture Program and projects.
