Community Art Project with Lize Mogel: Session 1
Jan 13, 2015
Lize Mogel discussing and showing different types of maps, January 2015. Photograph by Filip Wolak
On Tuesday, January 13, Youth Insights Leaders had their first session with Lize Mogel as part of the Community Art Project. During the Whitney Museum’s transition period, the Education department is working with schools, senior centers, community groups, and teen groups on a multi-part project designed by Mogel. She is an interdisciplinary artist and curator who works within the “interstices between art and cultural geography.” Her work is often site-specific, and utilizes maps as an agent of change. As part of the Community Art Project, groups are asked to think about and respond to their own neighborhoods and in some cases, the area around the Whitney's new downtown location in the Meatpacking District.
Collaborative base map of the area around the Whitney Museum and the landmarks YI Leaders notice on their way to the Museum every week, January 2015. Photograph by Filip Wolak
We looked at several different kinds of maps, such as a 1950s version of the subway map, hiking trail maps, and even different interpretations of a world map, and then, having been inspired, we created a collaborative map of our own of the neighborhood around the Whitney Museum. But it wasn’t just a regular New York City map that a tourist would use. Instead, we personalized our map to include things we notice every week on our way to the Museum. We each created three-dimensional versions of landmarks we notice around the neighborhood that help us locate the Whitney. It was fascinating because we didn’t just pick the most obvious landmarks such as the big high end stores like the Apple Store, Chelsea Market, or even the High Line. Though we included these sites on our map, we also chose more personal landmarks such as construction sites, street art, the food carts and coffee shops that some of us go to, and even the cobblestone streets.
Landmark details: a subway station with two food carts, January 2015. Photograph by Filip Wolak
It was an interesting experience to learn how people use various landmarks, but also how maps can be created in so many different ways. Even though we all come to the same location every week, we use a diverse range of landmarks to help us navigate the area and our personal experiences were revealed in this activity.
By Krystal, YI Leader