Danielle Lessovitz

This past summer I began to explore a section of Philadelphia known as “Devil’s Pocket.” Just 1.5 miles south of center city, it’s an area of houses and shops built alongside an expansive, humming power plant. Visually, I liked the contrast of a power plant rising above normal neighborhood life; teenagers kissing, children playing hockey, people walking their dogs.

For this project I wanted to activate a lot in Devil’s Pocket.  I wanted to play with similar contrasts, but this time between interior domestic life and exterior non-used public space, like the lot. I asked the residents of Devil’s Pocket to participate in the project with me. I had them stand in the lot for four minutes each. While they stood in the lot, I filmed them from four sides. Each of the four sides will then be projected onto the playhouse replicating space and shape of the lot. Viewers will be able to walking around the playhouse as if it were the lot.

Thus the lot will be activated twice, first by a resident standing inside of it, and second by the viewer who explores it by walking around it.