For years now, I have dreamed about making a functional skateboard halfpipe and finally my dream has come true! I have been selected by ADORATION, a Detroit-based curating duo, for one of their sites for 2012 ArtPrize. Due to the scale of this project, I will be making a Kickstarter Campaign to fund this project and will be looking for your help.
ArtPrize is an international art competition held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 2012 marks ArtPrize’s fourth competition. The first took place between September 23 and October 10, 2009, and has occurred annually during similar periods of time.
ArtPrize is unusual both for the large size of the top prize ($200,000, combined with other prizes cumulatively amounting to $560,000), as well as for the method of judging entries.
Unlike traditionally juried competitions, ArtPrize contestants are juried by the public. Artists and venues (exhibition locations) negotiate and coordinate during a process called Connections. During the event, installations are voted upon by the public using modern networking technology.
The City of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the Artprize Organization have selected ADORATION to curate two prime locations for the 2012 ArtPrize event. ADORATION wishes to compose this exhibition with works informed (directly or indirectly) by the elements present within two major public spaces in Grand Rapids. The primary space being Calder Plaza, the main commons between city, state, and federal government buildings, in addition to several large banks and offices. The plaza is comprised of expansive concrete and lawn areas, bordered by raised beds of landscaped greenery, and is home to two distinct works of art – large scale sculptures by Alexander Calder and Mark di Suvero. All spaces within the plaza may be considered for installation of artworks.
On their website, ADORATION explains what they are interested in showing:
As curators, we are exploring the relationships of space, time, and scale to objects and actions in public environments. We aim to infuse the space with minute, hidden, and temporary works. Through objects, installations, and a series of programmed performances, we will highlight the impact of public interactions and sensations, within public space. We wish to illuminate the organic, nuanced, and physical experience existing in the shadows of the vast, powerful, and monumental structures. The installations and performances in Calder Plaza will be documented through video. As an additional layer to the experience, the captured video will be projected onto a large, brick wall of the Grand Rapids Police Department. This public archive/artifact will reinforce the relationship between the two public spaces.
Leslie Friedman 