A WORK IN PUBLIC SPACE BY THOMAS HIRSCHHORN, PRODUCED BY DIA ART FOUNDATION NEW YORK
LOCATED AT FOREST HOUSES, THE BRONX - NEW YORK CITY, SUMMER 2013
We have really entered into the reality of the Children’s Class. There is a certain
cohort of children who come to or at least come by the workshop every day. And, as
DJ Baby Dee would say, it’s a beautiful thing. The number of visitors is still increasing
as more and more people hear about the project by word of mouth. We found our rhythm!
It feels like everyone who is participating daily in the workshop has an idea of
what it is: it’s a part of every day.
This week there was so much spontaneity and play both within the class and the actual
workshop room, and everyone (who didn’t know each other before) is getting more comfortable
with each other: everyone’s silly side is really starting to come out in a big way.
Sometimes that means a reminder that there are no headlocks allowed in the workshop,
but for the most part it just means that the kids are learning they are in a space
where they can and are encouraged to take initiative.
The theme for this week was text art – partially inspired by the return of the inspiring
Glenn Ligon to Forest Houses – and we did work according to plan, but as the pictures
show, we did so much more. This really was a fun week. For the last five weeks we
have been trying to figure out how the workshop exists as a real part of every day
life, and not as a novelty or as an interruption. Now we know what it is. Now we
have to figure out what it can be.
TEXTS