Also thinking of the character of lower manhattan-- but caught on the population/demographics. It varies wildly, but am interested in all the office workers (the non-billionaire ones) around wall street.
Putting that together with a couple of different thoughts...
-My interest in the people handing out menues and flyers on street corners (really feel for them). Especially trying to reach the jaded wall street crowd. You know what they have: Food menus, "free medical massage" coupons, etc. What if it was not "buy this" based? something out of the rhythm?
Other parts...
-My deep dis-ease with the sort of "personification" of the two current wars... I believe they are calling it Islamic profiling... Such an old tactic of vilifying the culture and people of the enemy state/s... The current version is all the more slippery because of our media saturation... Something that no one and everyone is doing and/or trying not to do.
-A contiuing strain in my work that looks at human violence through information (statistics, narrative)... offering uncomfortable ideas in a seductive and/or decorative frame/container helps us spend more time contemplating these ideas without shutting down or jumping to our usual safe conclusions.
So I'm thinking of handing out Sufi poetry in some decoratively printed format--asking people to 'start the day with poetry' in early a.m. rush hour downtown.
Within that stated exchange would be another. The short pieces of sufi poetry (carefully chosen) would be followed by plain-stated author information connecting the poetry to it's Islamic source. Very rough example:
"Don't be bramble,
become the rose. Let your beauty & wisdom unfold.
The brambles will only burn."
--Yunus Emre. A Turkish shepheard who lived in 14th Century,
called "the greatest folk poet in Islam," who sang mystical songs
which are still popular today.
BTW, totally prepared for 90% rejection rate. It's the nature of leafleting I think.
Would welcome any suggestions or feedback you might have. Thanks.
Miranda
CEC Artslink presents Publicly Creative: A Public Art Workshop. Public art is a fast-growing discipline with many unexplored opportunities for artists and communities. This workshop is a hands-on intensive introduction to the field, outlining resources, logistics, opportunities, and examples of successful collaborations. Recognizing artistic initiative as a valuable asset and a catalyst for a dialogue and transformation, we will explore how site-specific collaborations in varied cultural, geographic and political areas can influence business, social awareness and economic development. Encouraging close inspection of the particular issues faced by a specific New York community chosen by the participants, the workshop and the resulting public art work(s) will provide a unique platform for the participants and the public to explore and appropriate the city’s landscapes.
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