Van Alen Institute presents “With Your Voice” – Caribbean Life

Brooklyn’s Van Alen Institute on Thursday unveiled “With Your Voice,” a new participatory public artwork by Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas that will be on view through August 9, 2024.

The Van Alen Institute said it helps create “equitable cities through community-centered, inclusive design.”

Located at 10 indoor and outdoor locations in Gowanus, Brooklyn, this community engagement tool, according to the Van Alen Institute, educates New Yorkers on the “56 Points of Agreement,” a series of key capital and program commitments made by the City of New York as part of the Gowanus neighborhood rezoning, which is receiving $250 million in city funding.

“The installation brings these agreements directly to Gowanus residents through 10 site-specific Voicers – colorful, megaphone-shaped viewfinders – and a VR headset at the Van Alen Institute,” the institute said. Living in the Caribbean.

It states that while the 56 points of the agreement affect tens of thousands of Gowanus residents and workers, many are unaware of their existence.

Through With Your Voice, people can watch the Voicers and view slides that illustrate how the 56 points of the Accords are shaping Gowanus – including changes to the built environment and city-led programs to support residents and local businesses.

The institute said participants can scan a QR code on each voicer to record voice notes with their responses to what they have learned.

The institute said those notes would be made available to the Gowanus Oversight Task Force, a group of community volunteers who are advancing the agreement’s 56 points by meeting regularly with city officials.

It said the responses support the task force’s efforts by amplifying citizens’ voices and humanizing the impacts of the rezoning.

To encourage participation, the Van Alen Institute said people can collect digital gem tokens – called “Gowameralds” – by leaving a voice message with each Voicer. It said those who collect all 10 Gowameralds will win gift cards from local businesses.

The VR headset at the Van Alen Institute offers an extensive library of additional resources, including 3D models, illustrations, interviews, and videos. The VR headset is open to the public Tuesday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from July 16 to August 8.

“‘With Your Voice’ draws attention to the great promises New York City has made to Gowanus residents as part of the ongoing redevelopment of the neighborhood,” said Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas. “Through the surveys posted at each Voicer, we encourage Gowanus residents to voice their opinions on what they are learning and to build a connection with the members of the Gowanus Oversight Task Force who are working to strengthen this community.”

“Juanli Carrión and Rodolfo Kusulas’ With Your Voice installation illustrates the potential of public art for accessible, effective community engagement,” said Deborah Marton, executive director of the Van Alen Institute. “Amid the rapid development of Gowanus’ built environment, the work’s colorful, whimsical installations – the Voicers – demystify neighborhood change and support the important advocacy efforts of the Gowanus Oversight Task Force.”

Marton said this is Van Alen’s 15th installation as part of his ongoing “Common Build” initiative, which showcases the work of emerging artists and tests new strategies to bring people together in public spaces.

She said “With Your Voice” is supported by public funding from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the Council’s Brooklyn Boroughwide Needs Initiative, as well as in-kind support from Bednark Studio and technical review services from Silman.

The project is made possible through the collaboration of the Brooklyn Public Library, New York City Housing Authority, NYC Department of Environment Protection, NYC Department of City Planning, NYC Parks, Domain Companies, PMG, SCAPE and Avery Hall.

With Your Voice Brooklyn locations: Van Alen Institute, 303 Bond St.; Wyckoff-Bond Garden, 195 Wyckoff St.; Powerhouse Arts, 322 3rd Ave.; David Foulke Memorial Garden, 248-250 Bergen St.; Wyckoff Gardens Community Center, 280 Wyckoff St.; C Town, 239 Bond St.; Good Morning Deli, 303 Dean St.; Brooklyn Public Library, 25 4th Ave.; Siempre Restaurant, 255 3rd Ave.; and Councilman Hanif’s office, 195 Bond St.