Awarded $400 FEAST grant

Films depicting local labor screened on manufacturing facades.

Project Summary
BROOKLYN MAKES is a video walking tour of the Williamsburg Greenpoint Industrial Zone revealing the work of Brooklyn manufacturers today. I am making four videos that show the choreography of work at a paper maker, a smoked fish factory, a printer and an architectural fabricator. I will project these videos on the outside of the buildings at night, letting the hidden tapestries of manual labor spill onto the public space. The community will visit each business, lit up on a building facade with a projection showing what happens inside during the day. Soundscapes will be mixed from audio captured on site. After this event, the public may download the videos for self-guided mobile tours.

How will your proposal manifest at the next FEAST?
At the next FEAST on October 3, I will project the videos silently throughout the dinner, which will add to atmosphere of supporting and celebrating local economy and creation. The videos emphasize both the highly skilled processes of the work as well as the human element of fabrication. As a set, they exemplify the diversity of manufacturing in North Brooklyn today. I will make a short presentation on the project and invite everyone to come to the projection event, which will take place the following Friday, October 9.

How will you use funding (approx $500-$700) towards the realization of your project?
I will use the funding to rent projectors for outdoor projection ($640 with Rooftop Films) and print promotional postcards about each business at our local Brooklyn printer ($360 at Print House in Bushwick). This business selection is in keeping with supporting local businesses and manufacturers thematically promoted in the project.

Why is this project critical to the FEAST community?
The FEAST community is concerned with local economy and sustainability. Though many people know about Brooklyn’s industrial past, not many in our community are aware that there are plenty of businesses to support in the industrial present. Many of the artists and DIYers who attend FEAST will recognize similarities in the work of these small well-run manufacturers and their own practices. These businesses provide work that is more creative and sustainable to new immigrants and workers without higher education. They also provide work for many artists and designers. BROOKLYN MAKES will reveal these natural alliances to the FEAST community, and set the stage for future collaboration and community building.

by Sarah Nelson Wright