Walk participant in Chinatown |
/Title of Work/ "Wish You Were Here"
/Medium/ Participative Group Walk & Installation
/Dimensions/ variable (multiple 4" x 6" postcards in installation)
/Date/ May 2004 |
"Wish You Were Here" is an exploration of well-known tourist locations in New York City, and the narratives that are constructed about them by souvenir postcards.
"Wish You Were Here" participants visit a traditionally tourist-oriented spot, experience the place through the activity of a walk, and create an alternate viewpoint by making their own postcards. The participants construct an alternative narrative to a "popular" or supposedly "known" place like Times Square, Grand Central Station, or Chinatown. The project engages the participants to step beyond the commonly accepted/constructed narrative of a place, to create a (perhaps) more authentic one, or at least a more personal narrative. The project challenges both New York residents and out-of-town visitors to experience a tourist destination in a manner different from the norm.
Click on each photo for a larger version.
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Digging into the postcard construction kit (DJH) |
Writing down "Before" impressions... (DJH) |
Chinatown walk participants set off (JW) |
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Stopping to create a postcard (JW) |
Taking a picture for a postcard (JW) |
Taking a picture for a postcard (JW) |
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Taking a picture for a postcard... (JW) |
... and the resulting postcard (DJH) |
Grand Central Station walk participant (DJH) |
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Making a postcard at Grand Central Station (DJH) |
Installation view (DJH) |
Installation view (DJH) |
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Installation view (DJH) |
"Found Object" postcards, Chinatown (DJH) |
"Smells" postcard, Times Square (DJH) |
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"Found Object" postcard, Chinatown (DJH) |
"Something Unexpected" postcard, Times Square (DJH) |
Installation view (DJH) |
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"Sketch Something" postcard, Chinatown (DJH) |
"Something Unexpected" postcard, Chinatown (DJH) |
"Five Words & A Picture" postcard, Times Square (DJH) |
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Installation view (DJH) |
"Five Words & A Picture" postcard, Grand Central Station (DJH) |
"Found Object" postcard, Grand Central Station (DJH) |
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Installation view (DJH) |
Installation view (DJH) |
"Five Words & A Picture" postcard, Chinatown (DJH) |
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"Smells" postcard, Grand Central Station (DJH) |
"Smells" postcard, Grand Central Station (DJH) |
"Sounds" postcard, Grand Central Station (DJH) |
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Photo Credits: JW - Joshua Weiner; DJH - D. Jean Hester
All Photos © 2004
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Exhibition History:
May 13 - May 16, 2004 - Group Show - Psy.Geo.Conflux 2004 @ Participant Inc. Gallery, New York City, NY
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