"Utopiana"
New Harmony, Indiana 2006
Mission Statement
To produce a meaningful project that enhances the sense of community in New Harmony and updates the historic bond with their historic utopian experiment by presenting uptopia as a contemporary work in progress.
Intentions
The Utopiana project considers the interactions, and processes of the collaborative group, as the, and as an end in and of itself. This project is a critical consideration of an alternative way for an artist to interface with art production, and seeks to extend the territory normally associated with artistic practice, especially in the arena of public space, community and communication.
The organizing principle behind developing this collaborative project, and workshop, is the question, ÒWhat is utopian in our culture today that we do not recognize as such?Ó To start the dialogue with the community, boxes were distributed around New Harmony asking this question and inviting written responses. Their replies were considered together with the workshopsÕ, and EdelsonÕs creative concepts, when formulating Utopiana for 2007. The projects created by the Utopiana workshop group for 2007 are as follows:
Creating a public space designed to add street life to the heart of New Harmony is being designed with seating, tables and internet access located parallel with Main St. in Maclure Square. In addition, a kiosk is planned for posting community information. The community has also requested a public toilet.
Redbud Park, on the site of the former historic tavern, is proposed to be developed into a public space. The first stage is to install four table with seating and open access from Church Street by removing some of the fence which currently blocks entrance to the park.
A temporary project, beginning as an exhibition, benches with historical quotes from New Harmony juxtaposed with contemporary quotes will be engraved into the benches to generate a dialogue between the past and the present. We propose that these quotes will stimulate further contemplation and conversation on the subject of utopia. The benches will be placed around the town and rotated monthly. At the end of the rotation cycle, the benches will be auctioned off as a fundraiser for the project.
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