Mobile
click on thumnail to see larger image - scroll right for more images
Despite the Western perception that most people dwell in urban areas, there
are still many people throughout the world that live beyond city/town/village
borders, far from centers of culture and activity. Though they might own
a car, or have other transportation options, living a great distance from
an urban center often puts these residents in a difficult position for receiving
basic services or cross-cultural contacts on a regular basis.
Furthermore, the obstacles presented are not merely the result of a physical
gap, but might be presented by an individuals family, tribal leader
governing council, or formalized government. However, in countless countries,
individuals, groups, and foundations have found creative and efficient ways
to address these issues. By implementing mobile units that trek into areas
of diminished accessibility, basic needs are fulfilled and more convenient
systems of exchange are established.
Perusing Temporary
Services* website, which includes an archive of mobile units worldwide,
one might view vehicles that offer medical services such as dentistry, surgery,
abortion, blood transfusions, mammograms; or transports that offer books
art shows, and movie screenings. Furthermore, units exist that will shred
your confidential documents, power-wash your home, lead you in an exercise
routine, and test radon in your workplace or home. The possibilities are
endless. While some of the mobile units may appear more necessary
than others, each represents a unique service or experience and encourages
new means of interaction and community. By purchasing a reconditioned Coleman
Camper, the Gettysburg, the members of Civic Studio are seeking to engage
these concepts of mobility and explore its positive and negative effects,
primarily in conjunction with Civic Studios in the future.
Our immediate plan is to load the studios tools, equipment, and tables
into the camper and use it as a storage space, encapsulating the engagement
of public art, community histories, and the role of the artist in it all.
Next time, however, the Civic Studio members will be equipped with another
tool with which to explore these ideas, the Gettysburg camper. While the
2005 studio may have an established location in Grand Rapids, the addition
of a mobile unit will allow its members to transport the studio anywhere
within driving or pulling distance. Undoubtedly, this affords greater freedoms
in terms of physical space, location, and audience. Likewise, the portable
element further distances the studio from an institutional setting. These
freedoms could be both positive and negative, for with mobility, a whole
new set of questions should be asked. Will we use the camper as a way to
emphasize our transitional role within communities? Or might its mobility
be exploited as a means to make fewer investments and discoveries in the
neighborhood? Could the Gettysburg, as a quite small, movable unit, provide
a more intimate, personal setting for situating community art projects?
Though relevant to the Alabama implementation, finding answers to these
questions will be critical to the success of the next Civic Studio. Simply
tackling the difficult issues surrounding public art is a challenge in itself;
hopefully, the mobile unit will be a positive addition to this engagement.
*For more information on Temporary Services and the Mobile Archive, see http:www.temporaryservices.org/mobile_struct_rsrce.html