Invitation to join Artefacting Detroit on september 18th 2011, from noon till 4pm in a community art project at the corner of Chene and Canfield East.
An overview (text, photos, videos, responses) of the event can be found on our event blog
A welcome word from Alex & Arne:
Location of Spire - A beacon of hope: 4232 Chene (at junction with Canfield East)
View Spire - A beacon of Hope in a larger map
Event flyer:
The site and studies for the transformation:
Impression of the Spire with the personalized flags of hope
Current state of the houseChene 4232 before the transformation
Field study
Volunteers help cleaning up the surroundings:
Preparations for the event:
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
courtesy of and copyright by Geronimo Patton
Press release text:
(Detroit, MI, Sept. 7, 2011) Detroiters are invited to help create a public artwork, which is part of an international multi-media documentation featuring aspects of Detroit. The sponsor is Artefacting, a New York City-based nonprofit dedicated to using art to bring awareness to social issues. On September 18, between 1 pm and 4 pm, Detroit residents are encouraged to bring their own personal flag (any material, size, or color) or to make one onsite as a peaceful protest against the murders and negative community activity. An abandoned and charred house with a history of murder will serve as the canvas for the interactive public artwork called SPIRE: Beacon of Hope. The event address is 4232 Chene, Detroit.
Alex White-Mazzarella, artist and founding director of Artefacting explains, “This is one segment of an international project focusing on how people who they feel are not being taken seriously and who feel hopeless in their economic outlook can use art to make a statement and change their situations. We will use the flags of hope to transform the house.”
According to White-Mazzarella, Spire is the culmination of Artefacting’s six-week Detroit mission. Along with other team members from Holland and Brazil, White-Mazzarella is engaging Detroit’s inner-city community through interviews, research, community service, and discussion groups with at-risk residents. The international team’s research and findings provide the impetus of the artwork for SPIRE, which serves as their social contribution to Detroit’s regeneration.
“What makes working with Detroit different is how open and willing to share residents have been with us but they are not that way with each other,” shares Artefacting photographer and co-director Arne de Knegt. In contrast, De Knegt says, “Mumbai was like a bee hive, very connected and collaborative. They have a lot of social wealth.”
“Artefactings” have already occurred in the following locations: Mumbai, India; Rome, Italy; and Lillestrom, Norway. Next the team will move to Queens, New York. This November the Detroit segment will be on exhibit in New York City.
Artefacting is a fiscally sponsored project of the Brooklyn Arts Council in New York, New York. Locally, the team is partnering with the Heidelberg Project in using art to engage and address social issues. They are also coordinating with the Mt. Elliott Business and Community Association.
Great work guys... will be there !
lovely,please come to south africa!!
I love your event flyer! Wishing you a very successful day. Spread the word it is going to be great. You guys are awesome.
To someof us who live and work in this neighborhood, what you are doing just adds more blight. Your words and thoughts sound lofty and insightful, but to me are as substantial as the passing breeze. What you are doing is not much of a sign of hope to us. Ask some of the residents what is hopeful.
Dear Norman P Thomas
Thank you for taking time to share your thoughts with us. We like to inform you that this event has been the product of and has been created in collaboration with the neighborhood and has been the result of 5 weeks of talks with residents on their perspectives on the past, the present and the future.
Words like "peace, unity, creativity, entrepreneurship, transformation and hope" have been expressed to us extensively by many residents living in this area and many have encouraged us to create a symbol of positivity.
Een if it were to pass as a breeze, by many residents it still showcases an act of togetherness in a time where violence is dominating the news once more and the transformation of a house with a tragic history into a community beacon of hope is by many residents by no means considered blight.
Therefore, we hope to meet you on sunday and please make yourself know to either Alex or myself for us to continue this conversation.
Best regards,
Arne de Knegt
Mr. Thomas, it about time someone tried to catch the 'passing breeze' and harness it.
Wind does work. windmills, flags and sails to name a few. Flags are historical communcation signals. They communicate distress or pride. Here, I think they do both.
I think you are more interested in how we sustain an effort like this. We have to capitalize on what we have an go forward.
The question is how do we do that?
Nothing says hope, unity and peace like stacks of discarded tires.
I'm curious if you and your fellow artists performed any community service while in Detroit.
Whimsical art is fun to install (especially when you don't have to look at it day in and day out). Feeding the poor, helping the homeless, updating a park and many other activities would be welcomed in the neighborhood.
Did any of the artists or participants do anything like the items above? Ya know, the not so fun things in heping out a devastated community
Hello Christian,
Thanks for your concern. While a large part of Artefacting is our creative approach, another is indeed the social. Working with local partners Artefacting provided gardening, held weekly discussions, spoke with the homeless, and rehabbed an abandoned house. More specifics at... http://www.artefacting.com/blog/2...
Furthermore it is this community service that yielded insight that directed the conceptualization of SPIRE; a beacon of hope. So it works both ways. We serve to learn and then create from this to transmit :)
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Great work guys... will be there !