Head down to the Knockdown Center in Maspeth next Thursday to be part of the closing reception for an interactive, immersive art installation that displays the current climate of fear and intimidation faced by immigrant populations throughout the city.
The project, “Wall < Enter,” invited 1,300 young people who attend the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services Arts and Literacy Program and their families to reflect upon President Donald Trump’s proposed wall between the United States and Mexico, and then reimagine what borders between countries should look like.
The result of this project is “a projected montage of images, writing, dance, music and monologues about borders, personal stories, inter-culturation and the impact of immigration policy,” the projects description reads on the Knockdown Center website.
“Wall < Enter” offers visitors an opportunity to hear from the people and families most affected by the anti-immigrant sentiment fostered by the Trump administration, and, at the same time, provide participants with the chance to imagine alternatives to anti-immigration plans and policies.
In conjunction with the “Wall < Enter” project, on the Fourth of July, the Knockdown Center unveiled an interactive station in the form of a voting booth which allowed visitors to contribute their own stories through writing, drawing, audio and video content. These contributions will be added to the final installation and will be on view along with the work by Coalition for Hispanic Family Services Arts and Literacy Program participants.
The closing night ceremony will feature music by Debit, Helado Negro, Azikwe Mohammed, Calypso Disco, and 8Ball Radio DJs Sergio Aragon, Sebastian Maria and Stefan Ruiz.
“Wall < Enter” will hold its closing reception on Thursday, Nov. 2, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Knockdown Center, located at 52-19 Flushing Ave., where visitors can see the results from the project.
The installation was produced by diverse New York City youth and families in collaboration with the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services Arts and Literacy Program, artist/AED Laura Paris, and teaching artist/art therapist planning team Tomas Manon, Frank Mena, Jenn Perez and Rocko Seymour.
