Found Objects
Found Objects is the current project of ARTivention. The first of 365 hand-knit miniature sweaters was placed in Albuquerque, New Mexico on May 5, 2010 launching a year long collaborative project. Since the inception of the project, sweaters have been prominently placed in public areas across the United States. Attached to each sweater is a tag that asks the finders and collectors of these publicly placed sweaters to make a monetary contribution to the National Coalition for the Homeless.
American cultural models of conspicuous consumption contrasts sharply with the reality that many Americans experience. Spurred by the current economic crisis in the U.S. that resulted from the high risk lending that ravaged the housing sector, the issue of homelessness has taken on new meaning as many Americans are forced to find alternative living arrangements. Economic conditions have redefined homelessness. No longer the domain of street people, average wage earners now find themselves increasingly among the ranks of the displaced. Additionally, Found Objects questions standard norms of visual economies such as those found in the system of art commodification including the current practice of selling, purchasing and collecting art for art’s sake. By placing art objects outside the normal system of the art market, Found Objects relies upon the finder to determine the value of the object rather than an elite cadre of art specialists. The result of this action is the production of art that has cultural relevance and visual significance that reflects the society in which it was created.
To read more about the detailed placement of each sweater, visit the link below to the blog. To participate in either knitting or placing, contact info@maggieleininger.com.