Prospect.1 in New Orleans

The art world is doing its part in bringing attention to New Orleans in a big way.

As it says on its web site, "Prospect.1 New Orleans [P.1], is the largest biennial of international contemporary art ever organized in the United States, opened to the public on November 1, 2008 in museums, historic buildings, and found sites throughout New Orleans. Prospect.1 New Orleans has been designed to help reinvigorate New Orleans following the human, civic, and economic devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The long-term primary goal of the biennial exhibition is to redefine the city as a cultural destination, where the visual arts are celebrated and can once again thrive. Prospect.1 New Orleans aspires to initiate a new category of cultural tourism for the city, on a scale normally seen during Mardi Gras and the city's celebrated JazzFest."

The installations are located all over the city and offer some breathtaking pieces, including some in the Lower Ninth Ward. I've posted some of those images here. It's surreal seeing some of these pieces of art work in some of the most devastated areas of New Orleans. For one, it makes me appreciate the beauty of the work amidst all the destruction and silence, but at the same time, there's a certain sense of sadness with these pieces of work. It's as if they're these beautiful artifacts that were left behind. In any case, I commend this project and the attention that it will give the entire city of New Orleans. To learn more, visit the web site at www.prospectneworleans.org.