The Art of Abandoned Drawers After Katrina
January 25th, 2007 by Josh Neufeld
“Moved to action by the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, Napoli collected hundreds of drawers from the flooded and abandoned neighborhoods in the days and months that followed.
“In this site-specific installation, the drawers sit upright along a 230-foot-long platform, which spans the length of Liberty Street Bridge — standing like empty luggage without their passengers and flowing like a levee, broken in places. Beneath the drawers, placed in intervals along the platform, moving-message LED signs silently repeat the words of the people who have parted with these drawers. Their words reminisce and mourn:
“‘I thought New Orleans would be a good place to go for rain and history, and it was.’ . . . . ‘Having to throw your furniture out in front of your house — your life is sort of taken from you and sort of dumped out in your front yard.’ . . . . ‘New Orleans was here before America was here and we are a part of America.’”
The show will be up ’til Feb. 9. You can RSVP for a free reception and walk-through (with the artist) on Feb. 1, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
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