Luxury Condos and the Rest: The Making of Place

Luxury Condos, and the rest
The Making of a Place

“Time forks perpetually towards innumerable futures,” wrote Jorge Luis Borges in his short story, “The Garden of the Forking Paths.” Considering the range of futures from sustainability to dissolution, Woven Spaces, a local not-for-profit arts initiative, encourages artists to conceive of multiple possible worlds from within their local community. This is the central concept behind “Luxury Condos, and the rest” an exhibition that imagines the landscape of the Greenpoint/Williamsburg of tomorrow by the talented local artists of today.
Woven Spaces, in preparation for the exhibition, is pulling together visual artists, architects, filmmakers, dancers, and performance artists who have lived in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area for at least three years, to respond to the challenge of dreaming up where the community is headed. Each artist is invited to predict the future of this place, reflecting, evaluating, or dreaming up directions. The artist’s paths are innumerable: from Utopian to apocalyptic or surrealistic, to comical or satirical. Whether re-conceiving the urbanism of high-rise luxury architecture set beside industrial abandonment, avenues closed to traffic and covered in grass, or a complete replacement of what is here by new infrastructures and socio-economic groups; we welcome all visions.
During the course of the economic downturn, Woven Spaces identified artists’ concerns over exhibition space for more experimental forms of presentation and varied financial support for the arts. We are encouraging viewings and events in non-traditional spaces and are working to secure industrial interiors, storefronts, rooftops, streetscapes and the riverfront areas. We believe interconnectivity with the various sectors of community will expand audiences, and foster new communicative and creative relationships that enjoy and support the arts.
The first exhibition of the series will be held over three consecutive Saturdays in October of 2009 in Greenpoint’s Transmitter Park, as well as interior spaces yet to be confirmed. In May and October of 2010 we will hold the second and third exhibitions. The programs include film, video, performance, painting, and various types of mixed media and installation. We envision a series of panel discussions with artists, art professionals, and community activists alongside the exhibitions. The events are free and open to the public, and will be thoroughly publicized through local publications, email blasts, and using on line resources. The artists are selected through our own curatorial scouting and local gallery recommendations. We are also reviewing work through open submission calls, listed in the Brooklyn Arts Council and Woven Spaces websites.

Luxury Condos, and the rest: October 3rd Program
Transmitter Park, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, starting at 4pm.

5:30 pm – Artist Eve Andree Laramee, presentation on freshwater springs feeding Newtown and Bushwick Creeks – introducing larger project for Spring 2010
5:45 pm – Architects Evangeline Dennie & Kubi Ackermann, presentation on rooftop farming, green construction and urban ecosystems.
Ongoing art installations by Cris Dam and Ethan Pettit

6pm – 8 pm

Opening Reception
Music by Slim Francis and James Catholic & the Sects
Wine sold by OSA
8 pm – 9 pm

Films: Keith Rodan, Jonas Mekas, Angela Christlieb, Elle Burchill, Moira Tierney, Jim Jennings, and Sara Kraushaar. (Dress warm and bring a blanket!)
After party – River Barrel Cafe, 160 Franklin Street. (Joining new Greenpoint artists alliance.) After after party – Coco 66, 66 Greenpoint Avenue.


Saturday October 10th – Transmitter Park, starting at 4 pm

I. “The Pod” – an installation by Vamos Architects

II. 6 pm – t.b.d. Bar and Lounge, 224 Franklin Street. Debut of ongoing video screenings by Keith Rodan (waterfront footage and more). Screening schedule: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 5-9 pm, until October 30th.

III. After party 6 – 8 pm.


Luxury Condos, and the rest
The Making of a Place

Starting in Fall of 2009, Woven Spaces will be curating a three-part exhibition pulling together artists, architects, filmmakers, and performance artists who have lived in Greenpoint/Williamsburg for at least three years. Luxury Condos, and the rest; The Making of a Place will include a range of works from historical documentation, to reactive, redesigned, or reimagined – covering structural, natural, and recreational geographical aspects of the neighborhoods. The works will be presented within the traditional gallery setting, raw industrial interiors and open space venues.