The Pistils at the Adobe Parlor Project

The Pistils (tableau vivant by Mimi Moncier, photo by Pamela Belknap)

During the Pistils residency at the Adobe Parlour Project (curated by Devon Bella) I was inspired by the complex and informal program of the Adobe Bookshop. I used the window display areas as a way of exploring the production of space and to challenge our notions of display, exhibition and social activity. The bookstore, in its old 16th St location, was multifaceted: part bookstore, part community center, part gallery space, part performance space, and part living space. Space is produced through activities interacting with materiality and existing hierarchical/geographical structures and is not limited to materiality or intent. The Adobe Bookshop was emblematic of the enigmatic process of becoming by continually contesting definition. The window displays provided a compelling location for the exploration of space because of the already established relationship between viewer and viewed. Even when used as storage, there remains the open invitation to look inside.

During the six month tenure of our residency, I created six short, intermittent events within the window areas: traditional sculpture, interactive textual pieces, performances, and card games open to public participation. Click on the images below to see more about each InterMission.

The Pistils as pictured above L to R: Mimi Moncier, Cathy Fairbanks, Rashin Fa, Christina Corville, Laura Boles Faw, Devon Bella, Ruth Hodges, Nancy Elkus, Alexis Arnold, and Marya Krogstad.