Hope to see you at #MPPP! Many thanks to our partner artists--Cedric Douglas and Philippe Lejeune, guest speakers and tour guides--Ines Soto-Palmarin and DSNI, and generous hosts--Upham's Corner Main Street and The Strand, and funders--The Boston Foundation and ArtPlace. And to fabulous volunteers too numerous to list out--we couldn't do it without all of you.
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As part of our work with Upham's Corner ArtPlace, the Design Studio is putting on another pop-up exhibit in Upham's Corner. This one, entitled "Making Planning Processes Public" aims to do just that, as Upham's is slated for multiple types of investment and redevelopment. The exhbit is another chance to put "creative placemaking" in the hands of community residents and to use the skills and creativity of local artists to invite residents deeper into the planning processes.
We are excited that Upham's Corner Main Street is hosting us again and thriled to be working with local arists Cedric Dougles and Philippe Lejeune. (They're going to blow your mind!) We are grateful to funding from The Boston Foundation and ArtPlace, and partnerships with Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and MIT's Center for Civic Media's awesome Co-Design class. Finally, our MPPP interns, Corina McCarthy-Fadel and Diego Perez Lacera have been tireless and invaluable!
Please contact us if you would like to volunteer! We would love to have you.
volunteer [at] ds4si.org
The exhibit will run from April 29th--May 5th, from 3-7pm each day. More event details coming soon.
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More info on presenters, dancers and registration coming soon! If you have something you'd like to bring/present/dance, contact us via email: art [at] ds4si.org
And many thanks to our allies at Future Boston.
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Photo from NBCnewyork.com
On March 9th, 2013, 16-year old Kimani Gray was shot and killed by two plainclothes NYPD police officers. The East Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn responded with protests, vigils and public outrage. Since Gray’s shooting death falls on the heels of a series of such acts nationally, we at DS4SI want to share how we are thinking about this problem, with the humble hope that it will be a useful tool for activists around the country.
Click here for a short PDF on using our "Five S" methodology to think through the structures, systems, sensations, scale and symbols that can help us set the problem within the larger national context of Afrophobia, as well as helping us think about new ways to address the shooting and connect it to other complex problems facing our communities.
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Cedric Douglas (above), a local artist with his art studio on Humphries Street, was chosen for the integrated public signage commission. He brings a rich background in using everyday objects to communicate messages to the public.
Philippe Lejeune of Brookline was selected for his creative installations that engage the public in rethinking their subjectivity. Both bring a wealth of experience about public art, installations and the Boston area to our art partnership.
We took our artists on a tour of Upham’s Corner to start imagining what the full installation and integrated signage will feel and look like.
Philippe Lejeune, left, with Cedric Douglas, right, at Upham's Corner intersection of Columbia Ave and Dudley Street.
Design Studio's Kenny Bailey with artists (and another local artist) in front of Cedric's art studio on Humphries Street near Upham's Corner.
Cedric and Philippe thinking about possible spaces for signage or installations...
This upcoming installation is part of our work with the Upham's Corner ArtPlace initiative, funded by ArtPlace and The Boston Foundation.
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Many thanks to Kelly Creedon for putting together this beautiful video of last Fall's Public Kitchen event.
Inspired by the family kitchen as a gathering place, the second prototype of the Public Kitchen invited Upham's Corner and Dudley Street residents to feast, learn, share, imagine, unite and claim public space. Hundreds joined us as the Public Kitchen launched a week of fresh food, cooking classes & competitions, a mobile kitchen and Hub, food-inspired art and much more…
Public Kitchen was an intervention aimed at social and food justice-- an experiment in how more vibrant public infrastructures can improve the quality of our lives. Our art and design team included Chef Nadine Nelson of Global Local Gourmet and the Golden Arrows design collective. Many thanks to our community partners : Upham's Corner Main Street, The Food Project, Shirley Eustis House, Haley House, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and City Growers. And to our funders: The Praxis Project's Communities Creating Healthy Environments initiative, ArtPlace and The Boston Foundation.
Procuro Negro, 2013
As discussões sobre a representatividade das populações negras felizmente não são novidade, embora estejamos ainda muito distantes de uma sensação de conforto e tranquilidade. Este cenário se aplica a todos os campos da nossa sociedade, seja no setor cultural, social ou econômico.
A repetida e ingrata posição que é dada à nossa imagem insiste, e de forma trágica dá manutenção, ao lugar de subserviência a nós imposta historicamente. Reproduz, portanto, ideologias e condicionamentos que lutamos a todo momento em despir. Significa ter fé, pois precisamos acreditar em algo que não vemos.
De fato esta solidão me atravessa em muitos momentos da vida. Ora assistindo a televisão, observando a publicidade brasileira, ao sair com amigos para jantar. No amor. E foi observando anúncios que buscavam relacionamentos que me surpreendi ao deparar-me com a semelhança entre estes e os anúncios popularmente conhecidos como “escravo fugido”. Além das menções óbvias, tais como o sexo, a altura, o peso e a idade, percebi que era possível extrair de ambos mais do que uma descrição.
Certamente os anúncios oferecidos durante o período colonial não buscavam por sexo ou compania. É evidente o quanto estão contaminados por perspectivas racistas e exploradoras de um corpo coisificado: instrumento caro ao trabalho. Trata-se de um objeto que precisa ser recuperado.
Nos anúncios atuais, presentes em sites, jornais e até mesmo em espaços públicos não é possível determinar o que se busca. São tantos os desejos, anseios e fetiches. O mais importante é que se busca. A busca me instigou a planejar esta intervenção.
Minha primeira ação foi, segundo os atuais moldes de anúncio, descrever-me desta forma: “NEGRO, 1,70 m e 70 kg – i.mblack@yahoo.com.br”. Com estas pequenas etiquetas era possível contactar-me por escrito. A segunda etapa consiste em responder a todas as mensagens recebidas com apenas esta frase:
“O que você procura?”
E por fim reuni estes textos em forma de cartazes. Pintei-os como já o fiz antes, como cartazes de supermercado a serem afixados em espaços públicos. Descartei o nome dos autores e das autoras. Dentre algumas percepções destaco as variadas imagens que se criam em torno da negritude. Determinações corporais, resquícios da objetivização, desabafos protegidos pelo anonimato. Longas procuras.
Art Commission 1: Exhibit Development (PDF with full description)
The commissioned artist / art team will work with our core content team to create an interactive exhibit that will:
Art Commission 2: Public Signage (PDF with full description)
The Design Studio for Social Intervention seeks an artist / art team to collaborate with us on creating unexpected signage in Upham’s Corner in conjunction with our pop-up exhibit entitled “Making Planning Processes Public.”
The corresponding public signage is aimed at integrating the invisible planning processes into everyday life. For example, if a resident knows the local bus schedule, could they know the local planning schedule? If they can read the menu in the window of a local restaurant, can they read the menu of planning options there too? Click the link above to see more information on the commission.
Interested in partnering with us through either of the above commissions? We'd love to hear from you! Applications are due on February 28th. And please spread the word...
Many thanks to our ArtPlace lead partners--Upham's Corner Main Street and Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, and to our funder, The Boston Foundation.
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