Ai Weiwei’s public art exhibit was not only beautiful, it was profoundly thought provoking. It consisted of several large fence themed installations and 200 banners featuring the faces of immigrants that were processed at Ellis Island in the last century and refugees.
Banner #9 can be seen here. It features the face of a young child, likely an immigrant that came to the United States by no say of their own. In many cases, people in these positions are glossed over in the history books of the US, despite having essentially been the foundation our country was built on. I found the medium that the artist used, vinyl with holes in it that allowed the images to appear through the negative space, to be very provocative. The website states that this contrast is meant to be analogous to the experience of immigrants and refugees.
The fence exhibit under the Washington Square Park arch appeared serious from afar but rather silly from inside. Whereas the outside looked like a large steel structure, I found that the inside of it was lined with a warped mirror. This is a good representation of our city as a whole- it tends to appear very business and finance oriented at a glance, but a closer reveals the vibrant and sometimes very funny culture that lies underneath.
The Gilded Cage located at Central Park is a breathtaking structure. According to Weiwei, it is meant represent both the control and beauty NYC architecture can pose. I think this is a fully valid point- many New Yorkers live prisoners to their financial status, jobs, and living arrangements in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Even the wealthy can be prisoners of their own estates. It can easy to feel trapped by the constant movement and grind of NYC.
My curatorial project was about the concept of fear, and why we are afraid of the things that we are. In order to turn this into a public art exhibit, I would invite viewers to contribute their own art to a public space. I envision a project such as this one taking place at a park, particularly Washington Square Park. I would include a structure, possibly a dark room, that passersby could walk into, with images of commonly feared things on the walls. There would possibly be “creepy” music, such as out of tune violins, playing in the background. I would invite viewers to write down or illustrate their fears and add them to the exhibit. This might be done by taping them to the walls of the box. I imagine some of the images and notes might seem silly to others, while others may resonate. This way, people can try to look at their own fears from a more objective perspective by comparing them others. In other cases, if people find many instances of their own fears recorded in this installation, they will find solidarity and strength in the unified experience. I have seen projects and initiatives similar to this in which people in public spaces were invited to write their messages to the world on large scrolls of paper which were then displayed in the park. This is a way to allow our innermost thoughts to essentially become public domain. Bringing people together in this way allows us to transcend our differences and place more emphasis on our unifying factors.
Veronica Funk
I loved how you used the concept of facing your fears in your blog. I think your idea of your public art is so intriguing and unique! The fact someone can see it in a objective way, and compare it to someone else is such a cool concept. I would definitely go visit that exhibit! Overall, great work Veronica!
I love love love your public art project idea! The very theme of “facing your fears” is very intriguing since we can dig deep and find our own fears while also finding a community of those who share these same fears thus connecting us all together on a deeper level. I agree that that would be a “unifying” experience since it creates its own community within itself by allowing us to all open up to each other. Great work!