The Meccadrome
Built by Santiago Plicio in July 2021
I built a fairground model quite a while ago where four dancing men decorated the top of the model’s main entrance. It was only really an extra decorative feature and later, when the model was dismantled, I kept that part of it and adapted the dancers into another smaller stand-alone model so children could play by using a manual handle to operate it.
As with all models there eventually comes the moment with some passing of time that you decide it’s perhaps time to take it apart, but I found myself thinking that perhaps I hadn’t given this model its own real moment in the sun and I decided on something different.
Instead of dismantling it I decided that I would showcase it instead.
To that end I came up with the idea of building a theatre stage and placing the four men in it as if they were performing live in dancing formation.
I could have left it right there, but I felt that it was achieving nothing new, so I decided to add a fifth dancing member and then to go on and motorise the figures too, and suddenly after a few years of inactivity the performers had their dancing shoes finally polished and a stage to show off their talent in too.
Every man in his heart, including tin men too, need a venue so shine and show off in, even if it’s only for just fifteen minutes and then the curtains eventually come down and the act has to finish, but this being now it all about living in the moment and right now the show must go on.