Professor Prabal De, CCNY 2014
Posts tagged culture
Visiting Harlem
010 years
Last Friday’s visit through the streets of Harlem was quite enjoyable. As a student that goes to college in the city, especially a college that is situated right in Harlem, I didn’t expect to learn or see much during the tour. After all, we would only be walking through the ordinary streets of everyday Harlem. Of course, the tour guide surprised me with lots of information about the history of the neighborhood and how Harlem really flourished as a cultural center for African Americans. She talked about the Harlem Renaissance, the struggle between white landowners and incoming African Americans that wanted to live there, historical figures, people, and landmarks, among other things. Of course, I didn’t find the history too interesting and much rather preferred the actual sight-seeing as the tour guide pointed out things of interest.
One important landmark that I was fascinated by was the Tree of Hope. Today, it stands as an abstract piece of work in the middle of the road, on a narrow pathway. Back then, it was a busy spot for artists looking for “hope” to get a job in the industry, and it apparently worked, since people looking to hire artists and actors would come to this very spot to recruit hidden and fresh talent. Unfortunately, the original tree of hope was demolished, and the one standing today is the third rendition, since the previous two had been demolished by the city. This of course brings me to the next point about how the city plans of demolishing historical points of significance is a bad idea, especially for the culture of New York. The Harlem 5 basketball stadium nearby is also set to be demolished soon, and the area directly across from the Tree of Hope that is now being turned into some sort of condominium used to be some sort of performance hall. We should be working to preserve and showcase our hyper-diversified culture, but contemporary plans seem to be doing just the opposite.
From Branches to Roots
110 years
New York is made up of millions. Millions of people. People who come from different backgrounds. Backgrounds which have unique characteristics. Characteristics which can be portrayed through various forms of art and expression. Expression that lends an eye to another New Yorker who may otherwise remain forever blind to any particular facet of society.
On March 28th, 2014, this society was that of the residents of Bangladesh. Some book long ago told me that Bangladesh had the world’s highest population density, that is, the most people per square kilometer of inhabitable land within the nation’s borders. When the tour guide conveyed to us that Bangladesh had approximately 20 times the population of New York within a similar geographical area as that of New York, I reasoned that if not at the top, it had remained at least in the top 5. Thousands have emigrated to the United States and ‘branched’ out, so to speak, to provide the connection line between those who want to know halfway across the world, to their roots in the opposite hemisphere.
The pictures were striking and left me motionless and speechless for a number of minutes. While I could go on about how certain ones took me to that scene in Bangladesh such as putting me on the beach where the man combed his hair, or in the slum where the woman lay pregnant, or behind the camera of people acting their fantasies, there was something much bigger than that encompassing the experience. The exhibit itself had a story behind it and the entire room became a work of art once we knew the effort behind the project. When opening a gallery, a viewer at random may or may not know the story behind acquiring the real estate, maintaining the building, obtaining the lease, how these financial obligations are fulfilled or any of the troubles and leisures behind them – this was not the case for “Eyes on Bangladesh” and thus it was all the more worthwhile and fulfilling to have been there and experienced it first hand and in person.
