Decompression
Decompression 2007 is Saturday, November 3 at the Queens Museum of Arts. More details will be announced soon.
Decompression is one of New York City's premiere cultural events. It is the embodiment of a radical new philosophy about community building, participation and creativity. Decompression is an important event in a society where the politics of profit and commodification of culture are ubiquitous in the art world. Although Decompression lasts only one day, the shared experience it creates inspires its participants to keep creating and working together throughout the year.
All profits are held by a 501c3 arts organization and used to pay up front expenses for the next year's event. People contribute their artwork and labor for free because they truly believe in the value of having a creative community for the sake of itself.
There is an incredible amount of talent in the Decompression community. Common themes include the intersections of art and technology, interactivity and the upper limits of scale. In addition to these cutting edge experiments, a wide variety of traditional paintings, photography, music and performance are included.
Any artist who wishes to share their work with the community is welcome to exhibit at Decompression. Part of the Decompression philosophy is that all people are inherently creative and just need to be given the opportunity to exercise their imagination. In a city where the art world is very competitive and many hard working artists feel unappreciated or Ònot good enoughÓ, Decompression is a place where anyone can get recognition and showcase their work to a supportive crowd of people.
Decompression is a radically inclusive community event. Any responsible and enthusiastic person is welcome to join the community. The collaborative nature of the planning process, creation of art, setup & breakdown and of course, enjoying the event itself, creates friendships and social bonds that persevere long after the event is over. Many of the artists and groups involved create events and art projects year round using the skills and relationships they learn from Decompression.
Unlike a typical festival, art exhibition or concert where attendees are limited to the role of spectators, Decompression allows is attendees to participate at every step in the process from planning to staffing to the artistic content itself. This creates a sense of shared ownership and community among the participants. People learn to apply skills they've developed in their professional lives to non profit community events. It reinforces the idea that the only way we can live in a better world is to go out there and work to change it yourself.