HomeBase IV New York – An Exploration of Home

Ten International Artists Create Site-Specific Installations In a Vacant Medical Center at 232 East Broadway on the Lower East Side On View May 9 – May 24, 2009 Wednesdays through Sundays from 12:00-8:00pm Free and Open to the Public This year, the HomeBase Project has selected ten international artists to interpret the concept of home within examination rooms of a vacant, medical clinic on the Lower East Side. The HomeBase Project is an annual site-specific public art project that explores the notion of home. For three weeks, the artists - from different cultural backgrounds and art disciplines – will transform the clinic into a temporary home, displaying the outcome of their artistic explorations and creating an exciting community and inter-cultural experience. “The HomeBase Project explores the boundaries between public and private, between art and the everyday urban experience,” says Anat Litwin, founder of HomeBase, “and this year we selected a neighborhood rich in history and culture – and home to many new immigrants. During this time of economic hardships the meaning of home is ever more poignant.” Now in its fourth year, this year’s accomplished participating artists include, among others, award winning playwright David Bar Katz (US), installation artist Willum Geertz (Holland), photographer Oded Hirsch (Israel), installation artist Sandra Lee (Korean-American), artist Pessi Margoulis (Israel) performance artist J .Morisson (US), photographer Paul Sepuya (US), artist Dafna Shalom (Israel), and artist Letha Wilson (US). Selected by Jerry Saltz as New York Magazine Art Critic's Pick in 2008 As in previous years, prior to the public opening, the artists engage in a three week exploration process, which includes dinners and lectures that touch on personal and critical aspects of home, urban dwelling, and create site-responsive art installations in allocated examination rooms on both sides of the corridors of the clinic. The residency is followed by a three week “happening” as the site opens its doors to the public - free of charge – for a series of lectures, artist talks, workshops, performances, parties and other interactive events - followed by video and print documentation. A listing of events will be posted on the HomeBase IV website.