Objective
Formulate an interactive and branded exhibition/installation for the MoMA PS1 that would entice art enthusiasts and community members alike.
Professor: Stephen Zhang
Outcome
The exhibition "MoMA PS1 for All: After School Club" is an idealized tribute to the 50th anniversary of the MoMA PS1 as a historical learning sight and symbol for new applications of art within society. Not many people know the history of the building, so I integrated aspects of an old-school classroom with new-school aesthetics. Four distinct patterns were designed to highlight extra-curriculars we participate in throughout life but are not always formally taught: community, activism, empathy, and love. The exhibition includes a 3-D wall that acts as an introduction and photo-op for guests, pencil-like pillars with a sunroof, and an interactive chalk room.
Mural
I wanted a statement piece for the mural that acknowledged how art goes beyond any canvas. Taking inspiration from anthropologists, people often view culture as an entity that they live within, when in actuality culture is constructed by all of us. Our actions have power, and when we work together we are stronger. In our current political climate, the beauty of working together for a more vibrant future is an art in and of itself.
The pattern pieces were designed to connect together at any side at any point. This was to emphasize the motif of interconnectedness where the patterns become a tapestry, but each symbol retains its own individuality.
Interactive Room
This small section within the MoMA PS1 courtyard acts as an interactive room where guests, and learners for life, get to make the classroom walls their canvas. When it rains, the canvas will be brand new again. This space is meant to feel like a gathering for an after-school club but with an edgy and playful twist. For more involvement, stickers would also be sold in the gift shop so people can physically take the experience back with them and inspire others to participate in their communities.
Sculpture
Pencils are the medium that connects students and artists to their ideas. They’re symbolic in this way because they allow us to understand or transform concepts. These sculptures stand tall as their own kind of buildings for viewers to enjoy inside and outside the MoMA PS1. Inside the pillars, people are free to graffiti what a certain topic means to them while the symbols of community, activism, empathy, and love shine down from above. Similarly to the purpose of the stickers, pencils could also be found in gift shop.
