Us and our ‘Shadows’

Hey, look, there’s some good (if modest) news from the federal government for Austin. This year, the National Endowment for the Arts will endow the city’s Cultural Arts Division with a $50,000 ArtWorks grant to support the Playable Austin initiative. According to the city, the initiative will be “a series of public workshops, presentations, and a public art installation that will activate local neighborhoods and engage the community through creative interaction and play.” Sounds cool, right? Here’s some more info: “At the heart of the ‘Playable Austin’ project is ‘Shadowing,’ a 6-week temporary art installation that will launch in October 2017. Created by Jonathan Chomko and Matthew Rosier, Shadowing gives memory to city lights, enabling them to record and play back the shadows of those who pass underneath them. As the sun sets, and street lights come on, traces of those who have passed will be captured and projected on the pavement below. As one walks under the lights, the shadow of a previous visitor will walk, hop, or dance beside them, and then their own movements will be captured and displayed to the next passerby. Shadowing street lights will be positioned around the City, with one in each of the six Soul-y Austin districts. These include North Lamar, South Congress, East Cesar Chavez, Red River, Manor Road, and East 12th Street.” All that fun will be accompanied by forums and panels – we’ll keep you posted.