Dread Scott collaborated in summer 2008 with ArtWorks! youth to create a site-specific outdoor installation entitled
. . . Or does it explode?. The installation consisted of twelve human-sized lightboxes placed directly on the ground and illuminated to show full-body self-portraits of the youth participants. The photographs were complemented by audio of the adolescents articulating their hopes and dreams as well as discussing obstacles and challenges to those aspirations. Inspired by Langston Hughes’ poem,
Harlem – in particular, the opening line “What happens to a dream deferred . . .” – Mr. Scott and the students imagined, voiced, and visualized their own hopes and dreams. Moreover, participating students gained new insights into their own personal situations and life experiences. Their participation in the creation of a non-traditional public artwork provided them with the opportunity to acquire new art-making skills, such as creating a blog with audio soundscapes, videography, and photography portraits.
Because this project included both audio and visual components, it explored ways in which art can create a forum for youth, adults, and community stakeholders to “hear” each other as well as contribute to the debate that surrounds gun violence. The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program identified the Logan Square neighborhood location as an outstanding site for this project because, at the time of the projects’ installation, it was a walkway to Family Court for those who have been impacted by gun violence including survivors, children’s advocates, the faith and law-enforcement communities, and community-based organizations committed to reducing violence in Philadelphia.
Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (temporary project installed 5/7/2009-9/30/2009).
