Long Live Public Spaces
Four of the best things I read/saw/listened to this week
As we navigate our daily lives, the in-between spaces sometimes go unnoticed, yet they shape our interactions, influence our mood, and reflect our societies in fascinating ways. Today’s newsletter is a round up of some of the best things I came across this last week. Interestingly, each of these offer a perspective on public spaces - how we come together in them, why they matter, and how we challenge them.
Fashion without Capitalism on by
Articles of Interest has quickly become one of my favorite podcasts. Each episode focuses on incredible stories about the history of clothes uncovers the depths of why our clothes, styles, and even pointed ballet shoes are the way they are.
Her most recent episode is a profile of Hungarian avant-garde artist Tamás Király from the 1980s, when Hungary was still under communist rule. Király designed fantastical sculptural dresses from unusual materials and did fashion shows in the streets, simply for the fun of it.
How Your House Makes You Miserable by
Another great Anne Helen Peterson article that extends optimization culture woes that I have previously referenced into how it impacts how you feel about your house. This piece focuses on how we align and therefore make less interesting interior design choices because to ensure we don’t negatively impact resell value. In some ways it turns your most personal space, public, which misses the point of how homes should feel.
The Unofficial IKEA Residency
Mary Boo Anderson and Zoë Blair-Schlagenhauf launched an unofficial artist residency at the IKEA in Burbank as a way to connect writers, artists, and makers to “capitalize on this mecca of capitalism for more creative, authentic pursuits”. Their choice of IKEA underscores the scarcity of public spaces for people to unexpectedly meet and collaborate. The first cohort of artists were inspired to create a wide range of work on-site installations addressing IKEA’s “greenwashing” to a zine capturing the stories of customers and employees.
Stan Douglas at David Zwirner Gallery, Los Angeles
Candidly, I went to the David Zwirner Gallery this week to catch Nigerian-American artist, Njideka Akunili Crosby’s exhibit which was stunning and even better in person.
What I wasn’t expecting was the work of celebrated photographer and filmmaker, Stan Douglas. On view is an immersive video installation, ISDN (2022) featuring a call and response of two pairs of rappers - on one side in London is rappers TrueMendous and Lady Sanity in English, and on the other, Yousef Joker and Raptor, rapping in Arabic in Cairo. Filmed in 2011, Douglas juxtaposes the two styles that became the “soundtrack of the revolution” during the London Riots and Arab Spring, respectively. While the vibe is upbeat and joyful, the lyrics are focused on the systemic issues around race and class in each of their countries. If you are in LA, I highly recommend stopping by - the pictures and videos truly don’t do it justice. I left the room in truly in awe of the human spirit around us.