More Art Disrupts Its Annual Gala with Bold Statement: Presentation of Fake Award to Related Companies and Protest by The Yes Men, The Good Liars, and Save Section 9 Tenant Advocates Mark the Evening
New York, NY, June 12, 2024 – As reported yesterday in Artnet, More Art, a New York-based nonprofit known for producing socially-engaged public art, made waves this past week by disrupting their own twentieth-anniversary gala in order to shock and dismay the art-world community in the audience. As part of the award ceremony, More Art presented a fake award to Related Companies for their proposed demolition of the Fulton and Elliot Houses in Chelsea — before the Yes Men at last revealed the hoax and the award was bestowed instead upon public housing advocates and residents, as artists and residents in the audience declared “Art Must Not Serve Displacement.”
The evening began in typical fashion, with supporters and luminaries from the art world gathering to honor More Art’s impact on New York City’s diverse arts communities over the past twenty years. To kick off the event, More Art presented its "Nourish the World with More Art" awards to artist Dread Scott and philanthropist Michelle Coffey of the Lambent Foundation, who were celebrated for their tireless work as instigators and practitioners of socially-engaged public art. Scott and Coffey then engaged in a wide-reaching conversation on the meaning of "integrity" in artistic practice, and what it takes as artists and arts funders to put one’s body and career on the line in service of social justice.
But as the night progressed, the premise of Scott and Coffey’s talk morphed into a performance that highlighted the brave activism of public housing residents and advocates standing up to the most powerful developers in New York City.
The disruption began when More Art's Associate Curator Dylan Gauthier took the stage to present the organization’s inaugural "More Vision" award to Related Companies, the developers behind the massive Hudson Yards project. Gauthier announced that More Art would be partnering with Related who, together with NYCHA and with the support of a number of elected officials, have committed to demolishing 2,064 units of Section 9 public housing in the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses, to be replaced with 2,600 market-rate luxury apartments, stores, and offices and just 875 units of less secure Section 8 housing. The company has released plans to build several forty-story towers which will dramatically alter the fabric of the low-rise neighborhood – imposing a Hudson Yards-scale development in the heart of Chelsea.
"Andsor Betzelmack" (actually Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men) accepted the award on behalf of Related, presenting Related's talking points about why demolishing the public housing is "a great idea for everyone." As public housing advocates and tenants of the Fulton and Elliot Houses in attendance booed in protest, “Betzelmack” called upon "Related's PR firm" (actually the comedy duo The Good Liars) to share videos that they said would show just how much Chelsea locals loved the plan. Instead, the man-on-the-street showed New Yorkers horrified by the scheme, of which most of them had heard nothing. Finally exposing the award as a ruse, Bichlbaum continued to share facts with the audience about the very real plan to destroy public housing in Chelsea.
Next, More Art’s Gauthier invited activists from Save Section 9 and residents of the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses to the stage to accept a real award from More Art for their work and vision. In riveting statements, Save Section 9’s founder Ramona Ferreyra and tenant Jacqueline Lara shared their stories and voiced their demands for the preservation of public housing, while decrying the adverse effects of luxury developments on NYC’s most vulnerable communities. "Our partnership with More Art and the Yes Men highlights the power of art to elevate voices that demand justice and equitable treatment for all residents of New York City," Ferreyra declared.
The surprise award, which was not a part of the originally published program, also served as a visceral commentary on how artists and arts organizations are often complicit in the destruction of affordable housing and communities in the most valuable urban areas, and how developers like Related use them in a process called artwashing.
Related has previously come under fire for taking in at least $1.2 billion in EB-5 visa funds which were earmarked for much-needed low-income housing in East Harlem, but were diverted to the Hudson Yards project. The recent documentary Razing Liberty Square, which premiered on PBS earlier this year, spotlit Related’s cynical ploy to displace public housing residents in Miami in what the filmmaker Katja Esson has called an act of "climate gentrification."
More Art’s Executive Director Micaela Martegani explained More Art's goal with the disruption: "Our mission has always been to engage the public with art that provokes thought and fosters dialogue on critical social issues. Tonight’s action underscores our commitment to this mission. The fake award and the protest were intended to challenge our audience to reflect on the broader societal impacts of urban development, including the avoidable and sometimes intentional erasure and displacement of low-income communities of color, and the urgent need for advocacy in affordable housing."
Ramona Ferreyra continued: "Related Companies and their partners will tap into public monies to demolish the homes of a BIPOC community that is the heart of Chelsea, while eroding the economic, multi-ethnic, intergenerational diversity that makes our city so great. We joined forces with More Art tonight to amplify our message that public housing is the standard, and only truly mixed income housing in our country. Section 9 is home to thousands of essential service workers, and is more cost effective to operate than any other program. But it also contributes to the resilience of NYC. In fact, a recent report shows that every $1 million public housing authorities spend on capital improvements generates $1.89 million in economic activity and supports 11 full-time jobs.”
More Art’s Gauthier reflected on the evening: "More Art's risky, bold disruption of our twentieth anniversary fundraising gala — which succeeded in raising much-needed funds, since we don't get money from developers — aligns with our history of using art as a tool for social change. It's yet another milestone in our ongoing commitment to address pressing social issues through creative and impactful public art initiatives."
About More Art
More Art is a New York City-based nonprofit organization that collaborates with artists and communities to create public art and foster dialogue on social justice issues. Since its inception, More Art has been dedicated to producing works that engage the public and catalyzing art that inspires positive change in New York City’s communities.
About Save Section 9
Save Section 9 is a grassroots, tenant-led advocacy group dedicated to protecting and expanding public housing under Section 9 of the U.S. Housing Act. The organization works to ensure that all residents have access to safe, affordable housing and to fight against the displacement caused by urban redevelopment.
For more information, please contact:
More Art Email: info@moreart.org
Website: www.moreart.org
Save Section 9 Email: info@savesection9.org
Website:www.savesection9.org