This two-day (Saturday, June 14 from 1-5p and Sunday, June 15 from 10a-4p) conference complements current discourse about urban architecture by concentrating on public space-who controls it, who has access to it, and how its governance shapes the socio-economic environment we inhabit.
The program consists of two parts, “Owning the Streets,” focusing on the stewardship of public space today, and “Reclaiming the Streets,” an interactive workshop to apply new ideas about the future of architecture and public space to a particular site in Chicago.
The conference is organized by MAS Studios, Dilettante Studios and Hyde Park Art Center. Participants include Patrizia di Monte (Spain), David C. Perry (Chicago), Quilian Riano (New York), and Mimi Zeiger (Los Angeles). Our Public Space is generously supported by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.
Our Public Space: Who Owns It, Who Shapes It, and Who Benefits From It is part of “The Beast” program series.
More on “The Beast” Exhibition and Artist John Preus:
“The Beast” is a new solo exhibition by Artist in Residence John Preus. “The Beast” structure will house a companion series of public events. Preus is best known for his work as the lead fabricator for Theaster Gates, and as the principal designer and builder of the Dorchester Projects’ Archive House. The exhibition features a two-story “architectural intervention,” designed with an open meeting space inside. Materials used in construction of The Beast were harvested from six recently closed Chicago Public Schools on the South Side. The structure will be used as a site for free public programming including storytelling, music, panel discussions, and lectures – aimed at rethinking public space for inquiry, public dialogue, and creative production.
For exhibit details and a complete schedule of companion programming, visit http://www.hydeparkart.org .