Curating Public Narratives 2018

Course Description

This course will investigate the ways in which artists have presented narratives in the public realm and the organizations that have made the presentation of those works central to their curatorial practices over the last 40 years. Focusing on recent works presented in New York’s public spaces by Creative Time, The Public Art Fund, the Percent for Art Program, Arts for Transit and other non-profits organizations, this course will look at what it meant to tell stories and open discourses that challenged or interrogated widely-held value systems, the events and the politics of their time. In addition to the specifics of current and other key works and projects, we will discuss the conditions that governed the development of public performance, temporary and permanent installations, the ways in which those works were influenced by public approval processes and governmental agencies, media coverage and community response. Each student’s final project will be an on-line proposal for an exhibition that conveys a “narrative“ developed in the context of this course, referencing other relevant works .

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

3 Proposal Ideas for the Community

Christopher Street and Below

Heated Benches Around the Fountain

The LGBTQ community has lots of history in this area. However, although it isn’t long after events such as the stonewall riots, the area has turned into a fancy neighborhood with nice bars and restaurants. To honor and integrate the LGBTQ community back into the neighborhood, I would install a series of round heated benches around the fountain in Father Demo Square. This is right across the street from Joe’s pizza, where many young ‘bridge and tunnel’ people get pizza after going out on the weekend. The benches would encourage people to gather together on the weekends during the colder months. The shape of the benches encourages people to converse and the heated quality allows people to relax and slow down. The benches or couches could be colored red, blue and yellow. The Installation would encourage integration in the area, bringing it back to the history of the area, we are still pushing for unity and for people from different backgrounds to accept each other. This would be a temporary installation from October to March.

Brass Dining Table with Tea Bag Dispenser and Hot Water

This installation would be a long metal dining table with installed metal chairs along each side. There would be a hot water spout in the center of the table. Beside it, there would be a dispenser that released Tea Bags after inputting a quarter. The warm tea encourages relaxation and calms you down in this crazy city. This brass community dining table would be a place to gather and converse with people from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds. The current installation across from the Duplex came across cold and uninviting, which inspired me to design a warm and social installation. We still have a lot of work to do when it comes to accepting people of different cultures, sexualities, classes etc. This installation encourages people to integrate with one another. It helps to prolong the narrative that was fought for during the stonewall riots years prior.

Winding Dining Table In The Park Grass

This installation is similar to the first table, however, it would be much longer, winding through the hilly grass. This would be a way for people to enjoy the tea with their own groups. However it doesn't incorporate the idea of integration as much because the structure does not encourage people to sit beside others.