How can we allow for the possibility of public space to become a platform for collective and social exchange, where everyone can perform their own idea of community? That is the question that guided our intervention at the Library Plaza, following Exhibit Columbus 2023’s curatorial theme, we called for the use of the space to be designed by the public.
For our intervention at the Library Plaza, it was clear from the beginning that our role was only to translate the community's desires and intentions into a tangible installation. We approached the project as a participatory process, in which we developed workshops with the community, introduced design tools for kids, and worked closely with the library team to amplify their exceptional public program. Through these activities, a wide array of responses emerged, from people who wrote inspiring poems expressing their love for the city of Columbus, to people who just wanted to "eat food." Given this context, we concluded the best way to intervene this public space was to create an installation that could give tools to everyone to have the possibility to create their own experience.
By limiting our role to only providing the means for people to express their needs and vision for this site, our project became an ongoing participatory process. The installation encouraged visitors to freely use a broad collection of objects, furniture, and equipment to build their own ideas, to allow for all possibilities, and to embrace the unexpected.
