Immigrant Movement International

Michael Rakowitz

(P)LOT questions the occupation and dedication of public space and encourages reconsiderations of “legitimate” participation in city life. Contrary to the common procedure of using municipal parking spaces as storage surfaces for vehicles, (P)LOT proposes the rental of these parcels of land for alternative purposes. The acquisition of municipal permits and simple payment of parking meters could enable citizens to, for example, establish temporary encampments or use the leased ground for different kinds of activities, such as temporary gardens, outdoor dining, game playing, etc.

 

A first initiative for this re-dedication is realized through the conversion of ordinary car covers to portable tents for use as living units or leisure spaces. Ranging from a common sedan to a luxurious Porsche or Lexus, the tents enable a broadcast of desire within the marginalized space of need.

Krzysztof Wodiczko – The Homeless Vehicle Project

This vehicle is neither a temporary nor a permanent solution to the housing problem, it articulates the fact that people are compelled to live on the street and that this is unacceptable. Through discussions with those people in New York City, a proposal for a vehicle to be used both for personal shelter and can and bottle collection and storage was developed. An earlier design was shown to potential users and modified according to their criticism and suggestions. It is not put forward as a finished product, ready for use on the streets, it attempts to function as a visual analog to everyday objects of consumption, such as food vendor carts. It bears a resemblance to a weapon, the movement of carts through New York are acts of resistance.

Street Works.