06.03 2008

A past not easily forgotten…

Our recent posting about the South Philly Biennial has no intentions to be offensive in any way. Although, our installation is about South Philly’s quirky custom of chaining chairs to the hand bar of a front stoop, we at 1026 understand how the grand image of Frank Rizzo serving as the backdrop, in our last blog entry, carries an evocative history that cannot be ignored.

As a local Philadelphian my blood often boils after confronting images of our former mayor, Frank Rizzo. It’s a weird feeling to have, as I tend to carry thick-skinned sensitivity regarding such controversial figures. Yet, I think it’s the nature of his position in Philadelphia’s history that brings to the forefront an ambivalence surrounding many of our city’s transgressions (past and present).

Many transplants to Philadelphia are not as familiar with these injustices, which are often attenuated in public discourse, and even…public art works (e.g. mural art).

It was my grandfather, my father, my uncles, aunt, and often parents of my friends that educated me about Philadelphia, it’s history, as well as how to transcend some of the limitations that have resulted from that history. This collective education