With Your Voice, a public art project in Gowanus, educates residents about neighborhood investments

Brooklyn-based nonprofit Van Alen Institute has unveiled a new participatory public artwork in Gowanus, Brooklyn. With your voice is led by artists Juanli Carrión, an assistant professor of creative community development at Parson; and Rodolfo Kusulas, transdisciplinary creative and co-founder of the calligraphy company KOUThe project aims to educate Gowanus residents about the 56 Points of Agreement: a set of commitments made by the City of New York to the community as part of the rezoning of the Gowanus neighborhood.

The project includes ten site-specific megaphone-shaped seekers called “Voicers” located throughout Gowanus. Participants can scan a QR code on each speaker to record voice notes with their findings. These recordings are then shared with the Gowanus Oversight Task Force, a volunteer-led group working to advance the 56 points of the agreement. By leaving a voice note, visitors earn digital gem tokens. Those who collect ten tokens receive gift certificates from local businesses.

The 56 points of agreementthe focus of the project, was created in response to the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan. The New York City Council approved the plan in 2021. It calls for rezoning an 82-block area of ​​Gowanus to create 8,200 new homes by 2035. The Gowanus Oversight Task Force was formed to help residents benefit from the rezoning, which resulted in the Points of Agreement.

The agreements, which reflect a broad range of community needs, focus on Categories These include social housing, sustainability and community facilities. One item calls for more “opportunities for public art and historical interpretation,” while a whole host of others refer to pedestrian improvements. Item 11 reads: “Supporting local residents… in preparing for and applying for new affordable housing.”

With your voiceThe goal is to educate residents about the changes in their neighborhood, particularly as they relate to these 56 points. Deborah Marton, the outgoing executive director of the Van Alen Institute, echoed this sentiment in a statement: “Amid the rapid development of Gowanus’ built environment, the work’s colorful, whimsical installations – the Voicers – demystify the changes in the neighborhood and support the important advocacy work of the Gowanus Oversight Task Force.”

Gowanus has experienced tremendous development in recent years, overshadowing even the rezoning plan. There is an ongoing, largely unfulfilled effort by the EPA to clean up the Gowanus Canal, a heavily polluted waterway that runs through the neighborhood. The EPA announced on July 1 There is still $369 million missing to complete the project. Despite the toxic waste, gentrification continues; Article 2015 The Columbia Library Journal stated: “Gowanus, Brooklyn is emerging as a real estate hotspot.”

According to the Van Alen Institute, Carrión, one of the artists on the project, has closely observed the changes to the Gowanus Canal over the past decade. Both artists are dedicated to community-oriented design and often address environmental concerns in their work.

In a joint statement, the artists described With your voice: “Through surveys posted at each Voicer, we encourage Gowanus residents to share their opinions on what they learn and build a connection with the members of the Gowanus Oversight Task Force who are working to strengthen this community.”

The project can be seen until August 9th. Addresses Details of each intonator can be found on the Van Alen website.