The Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) has been awarded a grant from the Rockefeller Cultural Innovation Fund to develop a mobile augmented reality project called “Mi Querido Barrio” or “My Beloved Barrio.”
“Mi Querido Barrio” is an exhibition with both physical and virtual components, mapping an historic and cultural tour of El Barrio to foster greater awareness of the cultural history of the area’s (NYC) long-standing residents. The works of intergenerational artists in both traditional media and augmented reality will explore the concept of home/community in a global reality.
The physical exhibition will document the lives of 5 families with a generational history of living in El Barrio. The virtual exhibition will place virtual computer graphic artworks and environments throughout the neighborhood of Spanish Harlem as a means to reflect upon El Barrio’s past, present and future in cultural memory, history, fantasy, and reality.
CALL FOR ARTISTS
No deadline for submission stated. Full CFP available here.
The CCCADI will be identifying four artists to participate in a workshop to learn the new technology of augmented reality and use these new skills to create site-specific virtual artworks and environments landmarking the history and culture of East Harlem/El Barrio.
We are seeking artists with a wide range of skills including strong computer and media skills, aswell as artists with limited computer skills but a strong interest in bringing their more traditionalartistic styles into this very spatial and experiential medium.
NOTE: the medium is still in its infancy, and there are severe limits in what you can do right now!So imagination and flexibility to adjust your concepts to fit with the medium’s limitations are veryimportant qualifications.
Traditional artistic skills that fit with current augmented reality technology include:
- Strong drawing or painting skills – including graffiti artists.
- Strong interest in installations, assemblage, collage, found object installations.
- Objects and small sculptures, if it is all right to photograph them and use them as 2Dimages.
- Interest in public artworks, strong spatial sense for dealing with the local environment.
What unfortunately does not fit so well right now are:
- Video or animated movies, as this requires large bandwidth.
- Traditional sculptors may be frustrated, as we cannot make very complex, organic or finelydetailed forms in 3-D computer graphics. Sculptures might have to be represented as cut-out photographs.
Artists need not be computer graphic or media artists, and do not need programming skills.Comfort using computers is however a plus.
All artists should be willing and able to participate in the full duration of the project, which includes workshops culminating in the exhibition in Spring 2015. All artists for the initial workshop should be willing and interested in working with others in the group, and helping each other.
If you are interested in participating in the Mi Querido Barrio project, please send in the following materials:
- A Letter of Interest of no more than a page in length which outlines your skills and background as an artist and why you want to participate on this project
- A one to two page resume
- A sample of your work preferably in digital form
Please confirm your participation for the workshop series by return email torbultron@cccadi.org.
The workshop is available to a limited number of participants therefore confirmation is necessary.
Above adapted from the full CCCADI CFP available here.
