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By Zoe Yates
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Peephole Playground is addressing the presence of sidewalk sheds and construction sites along 14th street as a platform for intervention. These construction sites are blocked off from the street using wooden boards making it impossible for people on the street to see the development happening in their own city. Peephole Playground is a wooden box made from a shipping pallet with a metal frame that mimics the physical appearance of the sidewalk shed with two eyeholes. The box is playing with the notions of scale similar to that of a nesting doll. I want people to look at a colorful playground inside the box provoking memories of childhood. Play and creativity are so important to childhood development and the playground is a universal symbol of childhood experience with the sole purpose of fun. I hope that people of all ages interacting with my project will experience the same notion of play and simplicity.
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My influences for this project came from the natural desire to look into something that is closed off or restricted, the curiosity of children about the world around them, and childhood play. People are often so rushed when walking down 14th street that they may not notice all of the development that is happening. Peephole Playground is meant to make people stop and think about their environment while having an enjoyable experience.
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This project is inspired by Cambodian artists Tith Kanitha and Lim Sokchanlina. Kanitha’s sculptures which connect to play and childhood using organic forms in large-scale installations. Sokchanlina’s work explores the way the street is blocked off from public view using photography. In his work he is explores how places in Phnom Penh are being buried behind privatized modern development and the nostalgia for the places he is familiar with in a city that is rapidly changing.
