Vacant Future

VACANT FUTURE Curation Proposal PRESENTED BY : Christine Lin

Statement Exhibition Title: Vacant Future Vacant Future by Christine Lin is an art exhibition that provides researching and interactive brainstorming processes about crises regarding economic and social interaction. This exhibition is built on both her ethnography research and secondary sources with her own architectural design. She studies the relations between vacancy rate in Manhattan and physical interaction among individuals through social infrastructure as the bridge. Throughout the exhibition, immerse yourself in the space and expand your mind and thoughts along the structures, and enjoy the process of revealing a hidden relationship TOGETHER. Let's fill up this hollowness! Vacant Future

Argumentative Context The concept of Vacant Future is asking the audience to start thinking and creating solutions for reducing vacant rate, talk about the inspirations, and increase social interactions ourselves together through informing the importance of interactions between space and among people(social infrastructure), building connection between vacant occupation rate and social isolations, and crisis awareness of a apathy society. In the exhibition, the artist provides historical context, economic analysis, and scientific data related to vacant rate within Manhattan. Furthermore, the concentration reveals the connection between vacant occupancy rate and social interaction through introducing vacant stores as social infrastructure. Concepts are shown through data mapping, visual analysis(infographic), interactive interior design(potential space dividers), and interactive art piece. Vacant Future

Narrative OF Exhibition Before we get to see the exhibition inside, there is a strong aesthetic impact from the exterior. It is a enmornus concrete dome with numerous linear windows. The simplicity and dynamic shape make itself an art piece as well. As we enter the exhibition(one single room), in the straight front, there is a 3D printing model at the high raised station located at the center of the circle. At the bottom of the model as well as the horizontal surface of the station, there are transparent plastic strings radiatively spread from the center to the wall and ceiling. Some of them connect to the window frame and illuminate the room through reflections from sunlight, some connect near the beams reflected light from spot light bulbs. The whole dome looks like it is occupied by an enormous transparent sea urchin. While our sight is brought along the illuminated strings, we can see art pieces hanging along the wall. The closest strings connect to the right hand side of the entrance(as walk in), there are pamphlets placed on a station, and a statement of the exhibition sculpted on the wall. Right at the left side, there are a couple of two dimensional manhattan maps with only roads and structures, but the titles are not readable unless we stand at the straight front of the work due to the reflection of glasses frames. In order to achieve this, we have to be careful of some obstacles along this circular path. We have to raise our legs slightly higher than usual to walk across the plastic strings between us and the front position of the work. As we walk along this path, we have to observe the space for dodging the strings, and get to appreciate the artworks one by one. During the process, some of us are appreciating the data graph and conceptual installations on the wall, some watching the centered model, a city model with streets and buildings constructed with geometric wireframes. We can hear people murmuring “are these hollows have any relations to ‘Vacant’? ” Since we get to see through the works and move to the last piece, there is an installation. To clarify, it looks more like an actual storefront that has been cut, moved indoors, and stuck on a plane wall. There are colorful stickers with audience comments, such as an art gallery, grocery store, a drug store, etc… on the storefront window while there is a sticker text written “I wish here is…” on the top of the window. Right at the left side of this “installation”, there are stacks of stickers and a few markers placed on a station. Eventually, we just completed a round of the exhibition. However, after we come back to the entrance, the origin, we have a second chance to read the statement, the pamphlet, and figure out the meaning of the exquisite model at the center shown in 360 degree all the time. Some of us walk through the whole circle again, some of us walk reversely this time, and the rest just walk out through the entrance. Vacant Future

Sketch Exterior/Architecture Interior/Curation Vacant Future

Art Works Vacant Future

CODE V Title: Vacant Future Materials: 3D printing white PLA Scale: 300mm x 235mm x 80mm Description: A 3D printed city model(blocks across E 17th streets & E 14th, 1st Ave & 5th Ave) built with wireframe and shows exquisite hollowness with geometric shapes. Vacant Future

CODE A Title: The First, The Second, The Third… Collections Materials: Plotter Paper Scale: 1500mm x 3000mm Description: Infographic mappings of Manhattans in past decades Vacant Future

CODE B Title: 2022 Materials: Plotter Paper, Transparent plastic push pins, White strings. Scale: 1500mm x 3000mm Description: The vacant map of manhattan in 2022, push pins indicate the locations of vacant occupations, strings indicate the potential connections and relations. Vacant Future

CODE C Title: In 2047 Materials: Plotter Paper Scale:1500mm x 3000mm Description: Identical map as 2022, but the spots located push pins are cut into holes. Vacant Future

CODE D Title: Delivery or Restaurant Description: Two identical meals placed on two identical stations, one is delivered while the other is not, both titled with the delivery man or woman’s name. Change the name of the delivery man or woman everyday during the exhibition due to ordering new food delivery once everyday. The name in the titles might leave blank if the delivery man or woman is not permitted. D-I Title: “Hi! I’m Alejandro”or “Hi, here’s your delivery.” Materials: List of ingredients, Recycle plastic box, Recycle paper cup, Glasses dome cover Description: Delivered meal served with disposable dishwares and covered by glass dome. D-II Title: “Hi, how’s doing Alejandro?” or “Hi, how’s doing…” Materials: List of ingredients, Ceramic plates, Glasses, Glasses dome cover Description: Meal served with non-disposable dishware and covered by a glass dome. P.S: Alejandro is the name of a Uber Eats delivery man Vacant Future

CODE E Title: “I remember here was a…” Materials: Screen, Video, Plotter Paper Scale: 5 to 6 1500mm x 2500mm plotter paper, and 2032mm x 508mm screen Description: A video that shows photography of all vacant storefronts in manhattan, the video is presented through a hanged screen while there are the addresses of the stores and what they were previously printed in 5 to 6 long posters, double columns on each. Vacant Future

CODE F Title: In 2072 Materials: Steel strings, Glasses hollow spheres, Plastic city models, Decorative figures(plastic) Scale: Site-specific Description: Transparent spheres hanging with 5 boroughs of NYC plastic models inside, and some small spheres filled with single or multiple small figures with stressed and isolated postures and expressions. Vacant Future

CODE G Title: “I wish here is…” Materials: Caly, Concrete, Glass, Stickers, Sticky note, Marker Description: A mock vacant storefront inviting the audience to use the sticky notes and leave their ideas of what can the store become? Vacant Future

Interior Vacant Future

Interior Vacant Future

Interior Vacant Future

Interior Vacant Future

Architecture Vacant Future

Architecture

Architecture