About this project

FETIAL LANDSCAPE

[fee-shuhl]-- concerned with declarations of war and treaties of peace

L.A. Riots Memorial Art Project

April 29, 2012 marks the 20th Anniversary of the LA Riots which negatively impacted millions of lives, exposing racial, economic and political disparities. 3,600 fires, 2,000 injured, 53 deaths, $1 billion in property damage. In an effort of reconciliation I will produce a commemorative art installment for the community of LA in Collaboration with with KCCD and the SAIGU Campaign http://www.saigu429.com/.  The vision is to create a modular installation that is an act and a representation of unification. 

This piece will be composed of three particular elements:

• Platform structure. Rough-fiberglass platforms that follow the geographical shape of the region of LA where the riots occurred and topographically map the areas most affected. Proposed dimension of the piece: 10 x 15 feet.
• 1,000's of Multiple Plaster Vessels. The extensive platform structure will be populated by approximately 6,000 miniature and individually crafted plaster vessels to represent the human form living in and occupying shared community space. Using individual miniature molded white plaster vessels I will find a small representative of the diverse LA community to fill them with rice, white flour and corn meal as a representation of reconciliation. These three elements intermixed each in their own vessel occupying the platform denote a mixed and united LA.
• Direct Community Involvement.The placement of the individual pieces onto the platform structure will itself become a reflective community event. In order to involve the community in this I will be working with a select group of about 15-30 representatives from the community of LA directly affected by the Riots to be featured in a reconciliation installation event.

In addition, the entire process will be filmed and made into a short documentary featuring the stories of these 15-30 select representatives and the process of building this art piece in order for hundreds of thousands more to experience. 

The community placement would be a three-day event leading up to the art show opening and LA Riots commemorative service on April 29, 2012 and Art Show opening on April 28, 2012.

This modular installation for the community of LA that is itself an act and a representation of reconciliation--a centerpiece that speaks clearly and boldly about the reality of restoring and redeeming the destroyed foundations caused by the LA riots. This piece will be a testimony to a vision of harmony and respect in the radical diversity that is the extended urban Los Angeles community. 

See more projects by Maggie Hazen at 

maggiehazen.com & maggiehazen.tumbr.com