Confrontation Installation
Lalita Bellach and 4 OthersSiena JekelTrevor McDonald
Kody White
Will Fosnot
The Charles Street Meeting House lies on the Black Heritage Trail which is a path through history that represents the movement of freedom for people of color but is overshadowed by the Freedom Trail. In fact, when walking down the path there is little acknowledgment that it is even there. The main difference from the freedom trail is that it talks about the history of black people in Boston's abolitionist movement, led by Fredrick Douglass, Louis Hayden, and John J Smith.
Confrontation Installation is an interactive installation that allows a user to confront certain figures from the past and present and one of the main figures is Fredrick Douglass. The installation itself contains a wall-like canvas covered with expressive paintings highlighting the relationship between black identity and space. The user sits across from these walls and is transported into the painting. When the user sits down, they will face the figures on the painting in front of them, with a mirror on the canvas, which will give them an opportunity to be inside the painting itself. Confrontation Installation is inspired by the artists Tajh Rust, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami and how they manipulate the relationship between black identity and space. The installation will be located in front of the Charles Street Meeting House due to its rich yet unknown history. This can be installed as a new miniature seating area for the cafe Tatte nearby. It can be an interactive way to enjoy your lunch and become aware of the history of Beacon Hill and the Black Heritage Trail. Once the user sits in the installation, they become aware of the overshadowed black heritage trail as well as rich history and powerful art. The project's main goal is to bring awareness to the trail by showing a story on at least one of the sites. Also by emphasizing black history and culture, Confrontation Installation will be displayed for a few hours in front of one of the sites on the trail which is the Charles Street Meeting House.
This project can make a difference in our community by using art to not just bring awareness to the black heritage trail but show the division in cities across the US. It also brings awareness to what we should try to fix in society, and find solutions to the problem. Today and creating an interactive experience that can also inform people of the history and the artists.
The painting expresses the battle between the different races and fighting for equality. When you look at the painting you see Frederick Douglas on the side, and there are storm clouds in the background presenting a dark scene. On the left, there is a group of people representing the many people fighting for the Black Lives Matter movement, with a mirror representing yourself in front of all the silhouettes and Fredrick Douglas. There are also waves going along the bottom of the painting in front of everyone but yourself. The waves are significant because it relates to Peter Faniul and slave trade across the seas. It is also ‘washing away’ the representation that is not clear when it comes to the Black Heritage Trail.