My (public) Space-Short Doc From Pilar Damato

Recently I was followed by Pilar Damato, a wonderfully talented MFA student at the School of Visual Arts. She produced the following short doc on the PublicAdCampaign project after spending extensive time with me both in the studio and on the street. It was a pleasure working with Pilar and I hope to continue to do so more in the future.

My name is Pilar and I'm an MFA student at the School of Visual Arts in documentary film. I have a background in political theory and urban spatial theory so I have a strong personal interest in the Public Ad Campaign's work. As an artist I wanted to shoot this because of it's visual potential but more so because I believe that citizens need to raise their consciousness levels about the spaces they exist in. To me Public Ad Campaign is an example of an organized and effective reclamation of one's right to the city. I hope the film contributes to Jordan's body of work as well as shows people that they are legally entitled to creating the the conditions of their own city.

I first learned about Jordan and the Public Ad Campaign while I was leafing through New York Magazine. I admire that he has the courage of his convictions regardless of the illegality of his work. I wanted to make a film about a New Yorker that interacts with their environment and is aware that they are responsible for the city that they live in. Responsible, that is, beyond consuming, using transportation, enjoying arts and culture, and taking advantage of what's offered. All are important elements of one's experience in a city. In a population as transient as New York's I believe it's important to shine a light on those who are actively committed to shaping the city's personality-and in Jordan's case, the way we interact with the public space.

My (public) Space from Pilar Haile-Damato on Vimeo.