Performed as a part of the Center for Artistic Activism residency at The Queens Museum, NYC
Description
2016
Performance
Donald Trump grew up in Queens, the most diverse neighborhood in the world. Today, Queens is a sanctuary for everyone. Populated by 2.3 million residents, 48 percent of Queens residents are foreign-born. Over 138 languages spoken here every day in this densely populated and vibrant community. Even the World’s Fair, with the theme “Peace Through Understanding,” found Queens to be a welcome location.
It’s surprising that Trump, who promises to select a cabinet hell bent on an agenda of fear mongering, mass alienation, exclusion and discrimination the likes of which we have not seen in this generation (i.e., deport millions of people and set-up a Muslim registry), was born and spent his formative years in Queens.
On Sunday, November 20th, from 12 pm-2pm, the week after the 2016 election, we invited residents of Queens to participate in a collection action at Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights at 37th Road and Roosevelt Avenue. Queens residents sent postcards to the President Elect to remind him of the home he seemed to have forgotten and the values we represent.
View letters from the action at lettersfromhome.nyc. In addition to the live intervention on Sunday, participants from all over the borough will be able to upload letters to Trump and download postcards. #lettersfromhome
Letters from Home, an art action was created in residence at the Queens Museum through the Center for Artistic Activism, by Tomie Arai, Sol Aremendi, Ida C. Benedetto, Alix Camacho Vargas, Lucia Cuba, Abby Dobson, Stephano Espinoza, Robin Holder, Ginny Huo, Mahayana Landowne, Manual Molina Martagon, Vivian Peng, Jules Rochielle, Robert Ransick, Jeannette Rodríguez-Píneda, Jordan Seiler, Naemeh Shirazi, Ivonne G. Villalón Pérez, Betty Yu, and Anne Wheeler.
