The Residential is Political- In/Out Chelsea Public Art Project
The Residential is Political, is inspired by Peter Marcuse’s In Defense of Housing, reflecting the project’s focus on gentrification. The 8” x 8” signs are designed to provide information to visitors from around the world, using formal typographic traditions with white, red, and black. This minimalist design emphasizes the information while balancing the accompanying personal and evocative photos. The signs are intended to be encountered organically, aligning with the fluid, non-linear movement of visitors on the streets of Chelsea (24th-26th street between 9th and 10 th avenues).
The project is rooted in extensive research and community engagement, including time spent with seniors at Holy Apostles and conversations with residents of the NYCHA Fulton and Chelsea Houses, as well as the below-market cooperative Penn South. These discussions, paired with observations on rezoning and housing in the Chelsea area, inform the site-specific content of the signs, which capture local concerns about housing changes. The texts are from interviews with seniors with personal images they shared from the area. These interviews provided the basis for a performance where I performed the interviews on the Highline.
By addressing both local and international audiences, the signs bridge perspectives, offering localized insights while highlighting the universal nature of these challenges. At the same time, the project emphasizes that gentrification is a global issue, drawing connections across shared struggles and experiences. This approach underscores the interconnectedness of housing issues worldwide.