No Explore Detroit endeavor would be complete without a trip to the Heidelberg Project. Believe it or not, the Heidelberg Project was started in the mid 1980's. The artist responsible for the Heidelberg Project is Tyree Guyton, whose work is also represented at the Detroit Institute of Arts. It has literally taken me decades to make it down to Heidelberg Project and the changes over time have been drastic. The houses and surrounding art have been the target of arson. When I compared the photos I took during my visit to ones available on line, I was floored by the difference.
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| Heidelberg Project |
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| Same Area as Above but Showing Rusted Car Part Frame |
The Heidelberg Project is visually challenging: there is so much to look at it's hard for the eye to stay focused on one area. Maybe visual overload is a fair way to describe what I experienced. As much as I wanted to look at the structures as a whole, I would get pulled into parts and pieces that caught my eye. The sheer volume of "things" present in the environment, along with the bright colors, made it hard to really take in the art. At City Sculpture, I was invited to spend my time with a piece, then move on to the next. At the Heidelberg Project, there were literally thousands of components screaming for my attention.
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| What do you look at first? |
While it is easy to think you're walking through an art park, please remember you are a guest in someone's neighborhood. There were quite a few other people moving about the environment, pausing to take a picture or two. Some of the residents didn't seem to mind living in a gallery and turned their unique location into a business opportunity. The yellow house behind the shoe pile was not a part of the art but a family home. A woman on the front porch was selling both water and snacks as a way to help finance the repairs to her broken porch overhang. She also issued warnings to people who had parked incorrectly or had blocked a driveway. One of her other warnings involved respecting property; many of the residents do not appreciate having the Heidelberg Project in their immediate area. One of the homes had a warning sign about walking on the grass or photographing the owner or their home. I guess it's like having that overachiever on your block with the holiday lights; at a certain point all of the extra traffic just gets to be too much. The sad reality of the area is the lack of livable homes that were present in the neighborhood before the artist got involved. Is it better to turn it into an outdoor art environment, subject to the wear and tear of the elements, or to leave it as an abandoned home or lot? I'll leave it up to the reader to decide.
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| It's up to you |
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If you'd like to learn more about the Heidelberg Project, or the artist Tyree Guyton, I've included the links below. I was very surprised to learn that many people come from around the world to visit a location we have right in our backyard. Take advantage and Explore Detroit!
www.TyreeGuyton.com
https://www.heidelberg.org
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