ONE PLACE AFTER ANOTHER - Monoskop

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63 See Mary Jane Jacob’s interview with Annette DiMeo Carlozzi, “Questioning the Questioner,”
Art Papers 21, no. 3 (May/June 1997): 8–13.
64 See the comments of Ukeles in her conversation with Doug Ashford, “Democracy Is Empty,”
Documents 10 (Fall 1997): 23–30. According to Ukeles, these types of “curatorial assign-
ments” are usually conceived in reductive terms, as “self-esteem workshops” or “community
fix-up” projects.
65 Christopher Sperandio in conversation with the author, November 7, 1995.
66 Letter from Mary Jane Jacob to Elaine Reichek dated September 1992. My description of
Reichek’s proposal in the preceding paragraph is derived from the artist’s communication
(semiofficial, including a preliminary budget for the project) to Mary Jane Jacob dated August
7, 1992. In addition to Reichek, other artists approached for “Culture in Action” in the early
stages of its planning include Mary Ellen Carroll, Mel Chin, Alfredo Jaar, and Renée Green.
These artists were not included in the exhibition for reasons ranging from scheduling problems
to practicalities of the proposals to ideological differences. On Green’s exchange with
Sculpture Chicago, see chapter 5.
67 Mark Dion, undated and unpublished statement prepared for a public presentation on his
project in early 1993. The statement is particularly interesting for the ways that the “site” is
conceived as available social relations. The overall framing of Dion’s statement is to clarify his
notion of an “integrated [art] practice.”
68 Gamble, “Reframing a Movement,” 22.
69 Manglano-Ovalle removed himself from the position of director of Street-Level Video soon
after the conclusion of “Culture in Action,” leaving the responsibility of sustaining the project
to the younger participants, who came to view themselves as artists in their own right. The
current mission statement of Street-Level Youth Media found on its website expands on many
of the original objectives: “Street-Level Youth Media educates Chicago’s inner-city youth in
media arts and emerging technologies for use in self-expression, communication and social
change. Street-Level’s programs build self-esteem and critical thinking skills for urban youth
who have been historically neglected by policy makers and mass media. Using video production,
computer art and the Internet, Street-Level’s young people address community
issues, access advanced communication technology and gain inclusion in our informationbased
society.” According to the website, over 1,200 youths in neighborhoods across Chicago
participated in its programs in 2000. Interestingly, there is no mention of “Culture in Action”
in the narrative regarding the program’s history. The 1993 street video installation and block