Participatory City Building with Drawing and Collage
5-7pm New Urban Arts 743 Westminster St. Providence, RI, 02903 {totally free and there will be food!}
This project is about authorship of the city- about dictating our environment through individual desire and group effort. At times this is harmonious, driven by planning, discourse and collaboration; cohesive communities creating their visions. At other times the process of authorship is dis-orderly- overlapping and effacing one desire with another; strangers working independently. We are here to put these conflicting desires into action.
What is this event going to look like?
When you walk in, someone is going to say "Hello." You will be given a sheet of instructions and an allotment of stickers. On the wall there will be a large map with empty streets and over to one side there will be a table with scissors and markers. The stickers will consist of drawings of architectural elements and complete buildings. You and everyone else will have the job of cutting, coloring, augmenting, collaging, and placing the stickers onto the map. Take note - your city plans can and are encouraged to cover over the stickers of a previous participant but - as conflicting desires may cancel one another, a following participant will soon change or build upon your plans. Together we will navigate the tension between our individual dreams and shared resources. Before you leave, the city historian will take a picture of you and your construction, so both are remembered forever.
Oh, did we mention that the sheet of instructions is going to be a beautiful letter pressed print that you get to keep?
What do you need to do to prepare? Think about your ideal city. Think about the one you live in. Come ready to play and explore with friends and strangers. See you soon.
love Meg Turner + Andrew Oesch
