The Pop-Up Studio is a mobile, working, studio space. I share this 8'x8'x8' cube with one other artist at a time, and we set up and work in public spaces.
2005-2006

How it started:

It had always been my dream to work outside, so I created this inflatable studio. It was a bit too big for me to work in alone, so I invited other people to work with me. Josh Greene from Service Works gave me a grant in case I got ticketed, and I set up a google calendar for people to sign up. In exchange for bringing the studio out, my new studio mates were in charge of finding us a public space to set up.

What happened:

Every day was different depending on who I was sharing the studio with and where we were. Sometimes my studio mate and I talked all day, sometimes we collaborated, sometimes we worked steadily alongside each other. We were often ushered away by the parks department and had quite a few passers-by peak into the spaceship-like windows. When I set up with Lowen Liu, we didn't have any furniture, so we wrapped the Pop-Up Studio around a picnic bench. It worked perfectly. On the roof of Eyebeam, Kenyatta and I set up with wi-fi and these amazing chairs that Evan Harper made out of post office boxes. Alex Choi and I set up on a famous handball court after getting kicked out of Washington Square Park (where other people were sleeping). David Corbin showed me his fancy camping gear and brought his trusty dog Yippee.

Rocketboom came to visit us one day, and here's the story they put together.

When I went to Coney Island with Colin McMullan, we met the Polar Bears who helped us get set up with electricity and watched out for the parks department for us. Jennifer Monson's movement group did a performance in the space, Jason Goldberg and I brainstormed and animated, and Mark Tichy and I collaborated on a 3D video all shot with game boy cameras. It was a special way to experience the city, meet new people, and work.