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Basement Sanctuaries explores the ways in which superintendents decorate basements of apartment buildings in Northern Manhattan. The project reveals spaces that are often hidden from public view. One of the main artistic goals is to examine how these basements combine public and private space on a small scale. Additionally, as most superintendents are immigrants, this project illuminates the process of immigrant adaptation from an intimate perspective.
Basements are special sanctuaries for superintendents and their families. Supers often live in basements that are hidden from the public and from visitors, which creates a certain form of privacy. However, the basement is also a space of work for supers and their environment is on display for the residents of the building. Under these circumstances, the supers’ decorations function as a territorial claim over the public/private space of the basement.
Most of the supers in the neighborhood are immigrants from Latin America and images from their home countries connect their new home to a past they have left behind. This can be especially important given the grueling nature of their work and the difficulty of establishing oneself in New York City. Other supers display symbols of Western culture. One could interpret this as a demonstration of assimilation into mainstream society.
The repeated themes of cultural, national, and religious origins suggest that similar impulses drive the decoration process for different supers. However, the photos also show the diverse ways in which supers have personalized their work and living spaces and created a uniquely intimate space in the basement of NYC. The images explore a unique way of living and adapting to New York City. They encourage people to think in new ways about how space functions in New York City apartment buildings and broaden our understanding of the relationship between public/private space, immigration, and the everyday landscape. The images may also encourage new interactions among residents and supers as spaces that were hidden in plain sight are revealed from a new perspective.
For this project I have been awarded a 2011 and 2012 Individual Artist Grant from the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) as well as a 2012 Manhattan Community Arts Fund (MCAF) grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC).
Basements are special sanctuaries for superintendents and their families. Supers often live in basements that are hidden from the public and from visitors, which creates a certain form of privacy. However, the basement is also a space of work for supers and their environment is on display for the residents of the building. Under these circumstances, the supers’ decorations function as a territorial claim over the public/private space of the basement.
Most of the supers in the neighborhood are immigrants from Latin America and images from their home countries connect their new home to a past they have left behind. This can be especially important given the grueling nature of their work and the difficulty of establishing oneself in New York City. Other supers display symbols of Western culture. One could interpret this as a demonstration of assimilation into mainstream society.
The repeated themes of cultural, national, and religious origins suggest that similar impulses drive the decoration process for different supers. However, the photos also show the diverse ways in which supers have personalized their work and living spaces and created a uniquely intimate space in the basement of NYC. The images explore a unique way of living and adapting to New York City. They encourage people to think in new ways about how space functions in New York City apartment buildings and broaden our understanding of the relationship between public/private space, immigration, and the everyday landscape. The images may also encourage new interactions among residents and supers as spaces that were hidden in plain sight are revealed from a new perspective.
For this project I have been awarded a 2011 and 2012 Individual Artist Grant from the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) as well as a 2012 Manhattan Community Arts Fund (MCAF) grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC).
Basement Sanctuaries
Go for Gold! 2006
Go for Gold! 2007
Go for Gold! 2008
Farewell from the Garden Paradise
Moon Safari
On the Edge
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Basement Sanctuaries explores the ways in which superintendents decorate basements of apartment buildings in Northern Manhattan. The project reveals spaces that are often hidden from public view. One of the main artistic goals is to examine how these basements combine public and private space on a small scale. Additionally, as most superintendents are immigrants, this project illuminates the process of immigrant adaptation from an intimate perspective.
Basements are special sanctuaries for superintendents and their families. Supers often live in basements that are hidden from the public and from visitors, which creates a certain form of privacy. However, the basement is also a space of work for supers and their environment is on display for the residents of the building. Under these circumstances, the supers’ decorations function as a territorial claim over the public/private space of the basement.
Most of the supers in the neighborhood are immigrants from Latin America and images from their home countries connect their new home to a past they have left behind. This can be especially important given the grueling nature of their work and the difficulty of establishing oneself in New York City. Other supers display symbols of Western culture. One could interpret this as a demonstration of assimilation into mainstream society.
The repeated themes of cultural, national, and religious origins suggest that similar impulses drive the decoration process for different supers. However, the photos also show the diverse ways in which supers have personalized their work and living spaces and created a uniquely intimate space in the basement of NYC. The images explore a unique way of living and adapting to New York City. They encourage people to think in new ways about how space functions in New York City apartment buildings and broaden our understanding of the relationship between public/private space, immigration, and the everyday landscape. The images may also encourage new interactions among residents and supers as spaces that were hidden in plain sight are revealed from a new perspective.
For this project I have been awarded a 2011 and 2012 Individual Artist Grant from the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) as well as a 2012 Manhattan Community Arts Fund (MCAF) grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC).
Basements are special sanctuaries for superintendents and their families. Supers often live in basements that are hidden from the public and from visitors, which creates a certain form of privacy. However, the basement is also a space of work for supers and their environment is on display for the residents of the building. Under these circumstances, the supers’ decorations function as a territorial claim over the public/private space of the basement.
Most of the supers in the neighborhood are immigrants from Latin America and images from their home countries connect their new home to a past they have left behind. This can be especially important given the grueling nature of their work and the difficulty of establishing oneself in New York City. Other supers display symbols of Western culture. One could interpret this as a demonstration of assimilation into mainstream society.
The repeated themes of cultural, national, and religious origins suggest that similar impulses drive the decoration process for different supers. However, the photos also show the diverse ways in which supers have personalized their work and living spaces and created a uniquely intimate space in the basement of NYC. The images explore a unique way of living and adapting to New York City. They encourage people to think in new ways about how space functions in New York City apartment buildings and broaden our understanding of the relationship between public/private space, immigration, and the everyday landscape. The images may also encourage new interactions among residents and supers as spaces that were hidden in plain sight are revealed from a new perspective.
For this project I have been awarded a 2011 and 2012 Individual Artist Grant from the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance (NoMAA) as well as a 2012 Manhattan Community Arts Fund (MCAF) grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC).
