Popwalk is a platform for exhibiting digital, site-specific art. If you have already downloaded the app, you have probably seen that there are over 250 works exhibited throughout the United States and abroad. If you have looked over this blog, you have seen that Popwalk has been used for site-specific exhibits, university courses, museum exhibits, and public art. What you may not know is that, unlike other art venues, we have not needed to shutter our activities because of Covid. We are as busy as ever.
The Center for Disease Control’s website states, “In many areas, people can visit parks, trails, and public spaces as a way to relieve stress, get some fresh air, and stay active.” Popwalk is an exhibition format for site-specific art. The artist determines the location for exhibition of their video, animation, performance, etc. The app will allow viewers to access the work on their phone only when they have arrived at the location designated by the artist.
In other words, with Popwalk, artists can set up exhibitions outside of the gallery and museum system, where ever is most appropriate for the artwork to be exhibited, (because Popwalk is all about site-specific).
A few months ago, as Covid started moving upon us, we recognized this flexibility and organized a site-specific exhibition for our town. You can read about that here.
One of the guiding principles of Popwalk, since its creation, has been to serve the needs of the artists that exhibit on Popwalk. In the short time that we have been working, we have obtained almost twenty five thousand dollars in grants for artists and art historians who have made works for Popwalk. Our goal is to support artists to exhibit great site-specific works anywhere. We recognize that the possibilities of this tool are going to be best informed by the artists themselves.
So, during this time of Covid, we have a favor to ask of you:
How can we help you to use this technology to exhibit your artwork in a time when much of everything else is closed down?
How can you engage your community with the work that you have already, or the work that you will make?
Please leave us a message with suggestions, ideas, and questions below, or send us an email: director@sitessetforknowledge.org
