Since A.I.R.'s early years, it has been central to its mission to offer a platform of support and a space for exchange to its community. It is in this spirit that A.I.R. facilitates international exchange exhibitions, has opened its membership to artists based beyond the cultural center of New York City, and annually presents multiple open call exhibitions that invite voices from beyond the A.I.R. collective to present work within its walls.
However, this past March, as quarantines around the country and the world went into effect, the staff and artists of A.I.R. were faced with a new challenge: how to create space when, for the safety of our collective and our community, we were forced to close our doors.
Turning to the digital format, we began to compile resources for emergency funding, cultural access, and continued learning as part of INTIMACY WITHOUT PROXIMITY. But we were still looking for a way to connect directly to our audience, a means of feedback and mutual support. This led A.I.R. to undertake the collaboration with 2016-2017 Fellow Alison Owen on what has become STAYING WITH THE TROUBLE: PROMPTS FOR PRACTICE, working with her towards the framework for a studio challenge and online exhibition which would call on the creativity of our audience. Following the intent to continue to create room for dialogue in spite of distance and uncertainty, we drew the title for this time-based structure from Donna Haraway's 2016 book about survival and building together.
Every other day from March 23 to May 2, 2020, A.I.R. posted a phrase that Alison Owen had developed as an open-ended prompt for any form of creative work from visual art to musical composition, from written word to photography, and beyond. Readers were invited to interpret as they saw fit, and to incorporate the prompt into their practice, whatever form it might take.
Across the span of the project, we were overwhelmed by the incredible variety and vibrance of the work we received, by the tenacity and continued support of those who participated, and above all by the measure of a cultural and historic moment that the creative responses to these prompts offered. We are proud to present a mere fraction of these responses here, a selection by Alison Owen which—alluding to the communal aspect of the project—comprises two works per prompt which speak to each other.
Don't forget—this project lives on! We encourage you to continue to use these prompts, whether in isolation or in series. To all of those who have already shared their work and their practice with us: thank you for being part of this conversation. We needed to hear your voice.
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