With the opening of our own studio in San Francisco (opening party on Thursday July 25th, we'll see you there), we're thinking quite a bit about space as an activating force for community. One early source of inspiration in this regard is late artist Gordon Matta-Clark.
In the 60s and 70s, Manhattan's Soho neighborhood was a hub for many artists but essentially a food desert. Matta-Clark had an idea that was as much an art performance as it was a community project. In 1971, he launched the restaurant FOOD inside an old bodega on the corner of Wooster and Prince.
FOOD quickly became a central spot for the art community, offering not only food but also a place for artists to meet and earn money while practicing their art. Matta-Clark, who was deeply interested in architecture, saw the restaurant as an activation of space in a neighborhood full of abandoned buildings. The space was highly experimental, offering dishes rarely seen at the time, like sushi, and avant-garde cooking, while also providing free meals to whoever needed them.
Artist Laurie Anderson recalls, "Soho [in the 70s] was pitch black at night, there were two restaurants (‘Food’ and ‘Fanellis’) and one gallery (‘Paula Cooper Gallery’) … We were very aware that we were creating an entirely new scene (later known as ‘Downtown’). Gordon Matta-Clark was at the center of this scene."
The project lasted in Soho for three years. Prior to its close, a renovation within the space inspired the "building cuts" series now synonymous with Matta-Clark's work.
#CollectiveHistories #ArtHistory #GordonMattaClark #theartofbuilding
(Research references: Tate.org "Eat, Live Work," Phaidon "Gordon Matta-Clark's art restaurant resurrected.")
Product Visualisation with a Twist | Founder @ Jobe Graphic | Product Development Engineer
3wAwesome. Here's another resource breaking down SaaS growth strategies: https://foundationinc.co/breakdowns/