July 16: HERE WE GO

July 16: HERE WE GO

By the foot of Outlook Hill, southern part of the island

With Stephany and Mary, 12-3pm

The text comes from Alex @shahkabrah

Stephany and Mary are schoolmates, artists and friends. They fist visited the LMCC studio and decided upon the phrase “Here we go”. We walked all over the western part of the island, and stoped at the very southern part, in between two hills that have a direct view of the Statue of Liberty. We visited the Nada House, had clam chowder, and walked by many other open houses along the way. 

Before leaving the Island, Stefany gave me “Stop Thinking”, an advice given to our mutual friend Constanza. Stefany said that this simple phrase helps with her social anxiety in stressful situations. 

I’ve been thinking about different levels of exchanges that could happen out of the soilsandselfie project. It is partially the exchange of text and memories between friends and strangers, but also it is also an exchange of information and experiences. Through our walk around the park, participants could learn about lesser-known opportunities that exist on the Island. Every summer, there are countless art organizations, educational camps and experimental programs present from July to October. Additional resources such as enviromental NGOs, renewable projects and historical landmarks also have a strong presence here. Since most places only operate seasonly and smaller organizations often have a limited capacity at these satellite sites, people often time overlook the potential of these spaces. I am hoping that through our conversation during the project, participants can better familiarize themselves with the Island, and potentially realize their own projects here. 

This idea is reinforced through my recent assistant experience in theater set design. With a crew all working hard for a communal goal, I felt so much camaraderie and support from other each other.