An empty storefront space on University Avenue in St. Paul, along the coming
Central Corridor Light Rail Transit line, will soon be transformed into a contemplative writing room, temporarily.
The installation, from artist
Rebecca Krinke, is part of a collaborative project with the
Starling Project and the
St. Anthony Pop-Up Shop, which has filled the storefront with all kinds of creative activities this summer.
Krinke’s writing room, titled “What Needs to Be Said,” will occupy the space from August 15 to 19.
She’s trying to provide a public yet private forum for what often goes unsaid, she explains.
Krinke invites visitors to jot down whatever is on their minds, which they can display or hide away in the room. At the end of the run, the writings will be burned.
In some ways, the room is a retreat from the daily grind. It has a smoky cedar smell, while the doors are made out of charred wood, crumpled paper, and Mylar.
This lends “an atmospheric feeling to the room--of secrets, pain, joy,” and more, she says.
Although the room has a see-through quality, outside observers can only see the movement of shadow and light, while “inside has a very different feeling.”
The idea is that speaking up can be cathartic, especially in person--and in a meditative spot--as opposed to online, via blogs or message boards. “This is more random, physical, and visceral,” she says.
Beyond that, Krinke hopes that the project helps draw people to the area, which is known for its creative community.
“I want to show and support the potential for used storefronts in the area,” she says, adding that it demonstrates what artists can do to help revitalize spaces and cities.
University of Minnesota graduate students Michael Richardson and Emily Lowery are assisting Krinke with the installation, especially by exploring the possibilities for an audio component in a future installation, she adds.
Source: Rebecca Krinke, artist
Writer: Anna Pratt