You Belong Here

This app was developed in conjunction with Tavares Strachan’s contribution to Prospect.3, the New Orleans based international art biennale. The project exists as a declarative statement, a performance, a sculpture and a form of community development. The centerpiece of Strachan’s intervention “You Belong Here” is a 100ft neon work that will travel via barge on the Mississippi to be docked and made visible from various locations throughout New Orleans.

Strachan uses a seemingly straightforward phrase, “You Belong Here” to evoke dialog about the historical undercurrents present throughout the city. Who gets to determine if we belong and if so, then where? Strachan asks these questions as the city is in the midst of a major development boom. As a part of this project, the "You Belong Here" app is available for smart phones and mobile devices. This app allows viewers to participate and provide commentary on the work while taking a virtual walk through the historical context of belonging in New Orleans with acclaimed tour guide Speed Levitch. Every dollar raised from the sales of the app will be donated directly to the New Orleans based Platforms Fund and Big Class, two non-profit programs with a commitment to the grass roots development of New Orleans through culture and education.