Being an artist is one of the most difficult professions in the world. You have to reinvent yourself every day. You are creating something that people didn't ask for or need, in the hope that it will gain some value or meaning for someone else over time.
In the case of "TINTANIC" - I just wanted to build a big boat - I built her for me. I never anticipated that it would mean so much to other people. I created a platform that inspired millions of people to dream about their futures - and I didn't even know it. TITANIC has shaped my life in every way - and made me who I am today. After five long years on the road, travelling a distance in excess of 10 000 km - the art reinvented itself again. I acknowledged to myself that the TOUR was only a half a million-rand publicity stunt, and the real art was only coming around now. The longevity of the project is astounding. I also didn't think it would be possible to repeat the sensation - when "HINDENBURG!" unexpectedly arrived on the scene. I was just as surprised as the next person to have the same emotions surface in her concept. It is a purely misunderstood piece of engineering that teaches hubris, compassion, and the mystery of the human condition. The artworks have definitely transformed the way we see ourselves. We all think we are unsinkable, indestructible - but we all have our own iceberg lying in wait in the ocean, we all have that spark that will one day ignite. We have to learn to respect each another through these stories and appreciate the preciousness of life in each given day. Might as well enjoy the journey - Gino Hart It took 3 years to build the "TINTANIC". |
HisStoryI grew up in the Freestate Province, in the tiny rural towns of Oranjeville and Villiers, right on the banks of the Vaal Dam and the Vaal River. The towns were famous for two things, the Balie which was a strange hippopotamus that made its way around the towns via the waters of the Vaal - and cardboard TITANIC models floating and sinking in broad daylight.
A background in advertising sales in later years shaped and paved the future for the models and the current exhibitions. In 2015/16, the acclaimed TITANIC, THE ARTIFACT EXHIBITION *(the main exhibit located in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA) offered me a position as the resident tour guide due to my vast knowledge of the TITANIC disaster, taking more than 25 000 visitors on hourly tours showcasing 144 real artifacts from the wreck. I thought this was a lot of people - but "TINTANIC" was still under construction at the time and would later see me meet and greet more than 10 million visitors. I feel extremely blessed to be able to do what I love - to bring history back to life and tell the stories in the most memorable ways. In a way I feel like a spokesperson for dead and forgotten. Everything I do has meaning and that is great because one must live a life of purpose. I think I have left a mark for the betterment of humanity. I am extremely proud to have come this far in my efforts to preserve history - and even more fulfilled that we *(myself and these projects) came from nothing and from the middle of nowhere. I can only say THANK YOU each person who had a hand in making these exhibits possible - because they - alongside myself have had a positive influence on somebody somewhere... we've definitely made a tremendous wave. That's the point of all this - to inspire... |