Social Infrastructures and shared experience

‘Full Circle’ is positioned where diverse Buffalo communities intersect and is adjacent to International School #45 whose student body represents 70 countries and 44 languages. It was supported by a campaign to engage teachers, parents, school administrators, community activists, and neighbors to take active ownership of this work of art. The installation serves the young and old alike and it has become an identifiable meeting place for the different members of the neighborhood. In particular, it provides a space where recently resettled refugees can interact with longer-term residents in an informal way. (photo by Brendan Bannon)

Commissioned by LANDstudio in 2017, ‘Dialogue’ is a circle of interlaced sound tubes that aims to create conversations ranging in length and seriousness and connecting individuals in the Eastman Reading Garden at the Main Public Library in Cleveland, Ohio. The sound cones are connected to one another as pairs yet their couplings aren’t immediately apparent, resulting in a game of questioning and movement as one tries to discern the location of an interlocutor. (photo by Coryn Kempster)

Through simple, small dialogues and moments of spontaneous contact ‘Dialogue’ offers an analog prompt that encourages engagement and conversations between friends and strangers. It provokes interaction between members of the community who may hold opposing views or simply come from different backgrounds or circumstances. (photo by Coryn Kempster)

‘Hookup’ was a self-initiated project that was installed in Silo City, a decommissioned industrial estate, in Buffalo in 2018. The installation consists of seven swings tethered to one another to form one long interconnected swing. Directly linking the experience of occupants to one-another, the project speaks of relationships, demanding communication, negotiation and trust from its users. (photo by Coryn Kempster)

Made from off-the-shelf elements, ‘Hook-up’ contrasts with its rusty industrial surroundings and brings an unexpected playful element to the site. The familiar prompt of the swing is approachable and makes it intuitively clear that the installation’s use is encouraged. Acknowledging the interconnectedness and the complex set of influences of one’s behaviour to the movement of others, ‘Hookup’ is as much about the conversations and interactions it generates as it is about the action of swinging. (photo by Coryn Kempster)