Hide and Seek
Hidden City honchos Jay Wahl and Thaddeus Squire talk public perception, personal narratives — and Magic: The Gathering.
City Paper: Did Philadelphia have a say in this event?
Jay Wahl: The city has been very supportive of Hidden City. Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, Councilman Bill Green, Chief Cultural Officer Gary Steuer — they've all been a tremendous help in navigating the city's process and structure, in particular the Department of Licenses & Inspection, whose permits we needed for the Met [Metropolitan Opera House] and Royal [Theater] projects. We've had a great experience working with the city. It seems the mayor's new initiatives are working. The only thing that is a shame is that the city has no funds to support a project that is about the city.
CP: Other than revitalization and revival, what was your message to the artists you worked with?
Thaddeus Squire: I'm not sure we have a "message to artists" other than that abstract and non-narrative work has very limited public purchase, and it always will. That doesn't mean that kind of work needs to stop, but it certainly needs to find new contexts and ways to connect with people if it desires wider public support.
Hidden City is a new way to approach their work. The art world in general needs to examine its value overall and stop having a "conversation" only with itself. Peregrine is interested in helping artists and organizations invite more people into the conversation.
CP: Were those currently using the spaces — presumably with some semblance of upkeep — upset with the reuse? Or did they immediately welcome new attention?
JW: They welcomed us. We hope Hidden City Philadelphia can help build broader awareness for the value of these places and contributions that their communities make to Philadelphia. We also want to share their amazing stories with the citizens of our city. That is one of the main reasons why are excited to produce this unique festival. In addition to the sites, we also have many artists, who are also lesser known to the wider public. Like with the sites, Hidden City Philadelphia shines a light on contemporary art and performance, as well.
CP: How did this project fit into Peregrine Arts' aesthetic or mantra?TS: People can learn things they never knew about their city and experience the history and art along the journey. The sites help create a context for understanding the art, and the stories of the site tie it all together. In this way, the project re-frames historic sites with contemporary art. This is just one of many ways in which we can creatively engage the wider public in contemporary art and history — two things that often have trouble competing for the attention of the wider public against movies, video games and sports.
CP: You guys made this fun — there's a card game on your Web site and a bus tour. JW: The visitor experience is paramount for Hidden City Philadelphia. We want this festival to be an adventure. A great deal of effort and innovative thinking — despite a very limited budget — went into creating the game, the tour and all of the materials. Have you seen the cool treasure map? You can download it at hiddencityphila.org. All these things come together to tell the stories of Philadelphia for different kinds of audiences — including kids and families. For the game, Peregrine will be applying for a design patent, and we already have interest from other organizations to commission new versions of the game. It was designed to be expandable, so that we can continue to include more places, artists and people into the project. The game gets people thinking about how Philly's neighborhoods and citizens are related to the entire city — how the different components within each neighborhood and its restaurants, theaters, churches, etc., all come together to create a unique place and environment. It has elements of Monopoly, Sims, Magic: The Gathering and Settlers of Catan. By playing, you can take city planning into your own hands. Plus the bus tour features local actor Kala Moses Baxter. She plays B., a woman who shares her personal stories of Philadelphia and takes us on a journey around the city. She provides insight into the changing neighborhoods, unusual spaces and different communities that all exist together here. Tour takers are provided snacks, hard hats so they can climb up the stairs into the Met and a deeply touching personal narrative. All that, and it is really fun to take a yellow school bus around town and see these sites back-to-back.
CP: After this fest, then what for these spaces? What happens to them? TS: We hope Hidden City Philadelphia finds a place in Philadelphia's cultural landscape — but we're only interested in continuing the project if local audiences, artists and historic sites believe it fulfills a unique and exciting purpose. After it's over we're going to convene a retreat of all of the many people who were involved — staff, volunteers, artists, site reps, funders, government, etc. — and talk about what worked and what didn't, and what makes the most sense for the future. This is a pilot of a big idea — and so it's very much a massive work-in-progress.
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