Title: Access as Metaphor
Handmade book

Access as Metaphor

A row boat is the travelling vessel of choice. There will be one person rowing. Four or five passengers will arrive from water to land. Possible points of departure towards DuSable Park can be as close as North Pier or further, from the Chicago River or the end of Navy Pier. While only a few people will be INSIDE the park at one given moment, others will be able to stand nearby and, in real time, hear birds and other layered surrounding sounds occurring within the park: concealed microphones will be placed in the site for this purpose.

On the lower level of Lake Shore Drive, there will be a sign which stylistically emulates present signs directing traffic to Illinois Street and Grand Avenue (white lettering on green rectangles). The sign will read DuSable Park, and an arrow on it will point to a demarcated area on the bike and pedestrian path, where speakers will be transmitting live sound from different points in the three acres below. When traffic is heavy, these sounds will both blend with the competing loud hums of zooming vehicles, and be amplified by the highway structures above and beneath.

These sounds will also be transmitted live to "Site B", where a sculpture of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable will stand.

The alternative physical entry into the park is as follows:

Not far from the speakers at Lake Shore Drive, every so often a ladder made of rope will be secured to the railing. This ladder leads to the park below. Whoever feels able to descend and ascend this ladder will be invited to do so.

Dianna Frid is a Mexican-Canadian artist living in Chicago.

NEXT ARTIST

ARTIST MAIN LIST

HOME