Flux Capacity

A run-down neighborhood gets a boost from community-minded artists.

by Ptah Gabrie

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Published: Apr 14, 2009

Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio by Nadia Hironaka (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION

[ visual art ]

Chinatown North, as we know it, is a no-man's-land of old factory buildings, sparse strips of row houses and streets overwhelmed by tall weeds and trash. But thanks to the Asian Arts Initiative's 2009 "Chinatown In/flux: Future Landscapes" project, revitalization may not be out of reach.

Participating artists Jonathan and Kimberly Stemler use paper lanterns to illuminate the Reading Railroad viaduct's archway over Carlton Street between 11th and 12th in The Little Red String. The lanterns, inscribed with stories written by Chinatown community members, hang from the archway ceiling, brightening up an otherwise dreary passageway.

So far the reaction has been positive, but the Stemlers know some people may view their project as intrusive — it's clear that homeless people live below the viaduct, and the Stemlers didn't want to overstep their boundaries. "We felt like we needed to protect them," said Kimberly.

Rebecca Hackemann's exhibit, Visionary Sightseeing Binoculars, juxtaposes Philadelphia's reality with its potential. The binoculars, the type you'd put a quarter into to peep panoramas or animals at the zoo, are mounted on the sidewalk over the Vine Street Expressway, facing the skyline. The idea is that after gazing, binocular-free, at the scene that lies ahead, viewers can flip through more than 30 stereoscopic binocular images — all renderings of historical or altered Philadelphia, brought to life by students and artists in the Chinatown community.

Film and video artist Nadia Hironaka turns the Asian Arts Initiative's front window near 11th and Vine into a canvas to show her short animated film, Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. Its title taken from ancient Chinese author Pu Songling, the project is a compilation of oral histories and mythology. Hironaka hopes to create a sense of cultural pride for younger Chinese-Americans who struggle to create their own identity.

Finally, Kikuchi + Liu's Chinatown TM has drawn the most controversy. The artists initially wanted to paint a row house at 1011 Vine St. "Chinatown orange" as a symbol of change, but the Redevelopment Authority, which owns the house, did not give permission. Instead, PennDOT has allowed the team to paint a parking lot at 10th and Vine.

AAI recently lost its Chinatown-proper digs to the Convention Center's expansion, and has now relocated to Chinatown North along Vine Street, so rebuilding this neighborhood is much more personal. The goal of these projects, most literally with The Little Red String, is to "light" the way to redevelopment. Each project has its own individual significance, but collectively they serve as a means to reclaim this blighted section by empowering artists and residents alike to change the world around them.

(p_gabrie@citypaper.net)

"Chinatown In/flux," through Aug. 2, Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine St., 215-557-0455, asianartsinitiative.org.

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