Multi-medya ak
Atizay Pratik Sosyal
Artist Statement
I’m a social practice artist and urban planner with a background in youth work and community organizing. My experiences growing in an immigrant household in an under-served neighborhood in Boston, MA are motivations for my work. Other inspirations come from the natural world, science fiction, fantasy and mythology and past and contemporary history. As such I am constantly exploring ways in which art, design and culture shapes urban and environmental landscapes, and vice versa, and, transformative tools and learning that drive social change. The mediums I practice in are poetry, prose, jewelry making, sketches and oil based paintings. In the past I have done video production and digital photography, which I have recently been re-engaging in.
The majority of my art projects are community-involved, collaborative in their design, involving working with youth, residents, teachers and community-based organizations, and thus are not traditionally exhibited. These investigative and outcome-oriented urban projects which incorporate the of various art forms from digital technology, photography, fashion design, community murals, to film projects and social justice themed music curating. Such projects include but are not limited to:
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Food Desert Mapping
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Placemaking Challenges
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Educational Board Games
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Transit Policy Advocacy
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Violence Prevention
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Community Cultural History
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Racial Justice
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Body Image Awareness through Fashion
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Anti-Substance Abuse Campaigns
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Education Empowerment
Ekspozisyon ak Montre
PT Barnum Entertainment & Tufts University Artist Alum Showcase
MOCA LA
2019
Under the Same Sky: Landscape Photography
Impact Hub Art Fest
2017, 2018
Under the Same Sky: Landscape Photography
On the Line, Spoke Gallery
2016
Poetry/Spoken Word
________
1989 – present
Curator and Floor Manager, Youth Art Exhibit
The City School Closing Ceremony
2000
Vizite magazen mwen an
Tcheke boutik sou entènèt mwen an pou enprime dijital fotografi endividyèl mwen yo, penti , pèl, kou kòmande, ak plis ankò!
Below is a sampling of some my arts praxis and its many dimensions in painting, photography, beadworks, graphic design, experimental installations, film, writing and community engaged art processes. Contact me more information.
Atizay ki angaje nan kominote a
Here are some images that capture examples of my community co-designed art. Most of my art is ceated with and/or for community.
Planning, Civic Design & Placekeeping
For over 15 years I have worked on community and public arts projects that provide both urban function and aesthetic. If not designing and producing directly, as an experienced organizer and planner, I faciliate the process between stakeholders such as residents, city officials and practitioners. Here are samples of different types of projects.
PhotoVoice as Community Planning and Engagement
As part of a citywide planning process, the city of Fresno engaged the Southwest community to address several brownfields. As part of the consultant team, I had the idea and led a PhotoVoice program with resident teens to vision the redevelopment of those sites.
Community-wide Creative Placekeeping
In 2015, I founded Mattapan Open Streets/Open Studios, launching the first Open Studios in Mattapan in the 30-year Boston Open Studios history. Because a barrier is the lack of arts spaces, I partner with local orgs and businesses to create pop-up art spaces around the neighborhood, and conduct various functional art projects. All activities are free and open to the public
Cultural Branding and Public Health
As an organizer, I worked with community partners to negotiate with the city to remove banners of victims impacted by violence, and instead reframe and support de-stigmatizing the community by replacing them with artwork from a local artist. (Images from the City of Boston)
Community Powered Outreach, Transportation and Public Health
As part of a project to increase inner-city engagement on bike share, we hired local residents, trained them as ambassadors and as models for an ad campaign promoting bike share (June 2022).
Parklets and Building Buy-in
As a consultant to the City of Boston, I led the outreach and engagement with residents and business owners to generate interest and buy-in in the first-ever permanently installed parklet on Blue Hill Ave. I also worked with a local business which took on stewardship of the parklet.
Traveling Interactive Exhibit
To help engage residents in a major corridor redesign project, I led the team in the vision, design and execution of a pop-up exhibit to educate the public and interactively collect feedback. The project was put together in partnership with OverUnder and Design Museum Everywhere.