Bywalker
Bibliowicz Family Gallery, Cornell University
11-22 March, 2024
Photographic prints in silver gelatin toned in selenium
This was a small exhibition that delved into the urban landscape of Ithaca, NY, seeking to capture often hidden, transient expressions of poetic, political and philosophical ideas found spray-painted on its walls and sidewalks, while also reflecting on collective and public possibilities for expression. I thought that those unfiltered, anonymous and sometimes enigmatic statements not only stood as potent symbols of the town’s collective consciousness but also revealed its underlying tensions, offering a fascinating perspective of the interplay between art, politics, and the urban environment.
The ephemeral nature of street art messages can also reflect the fleeting nature of freedom of expression as these messages are usually overwritten or erased by contrary groups or authorities, therefore indicating the fragility of this freedom and the need to preserve it. In this sense, Spadoni believes that the act of photographing them becomes an act of preservation and conversation of this ephemeral form of expression, perhaps ultimately underscoring the role of art in protecting freedom of expression.
This project was generously funded by the