The Institute for Wishful Thinking
an exercise in transparency
Bibi Calderaro for the IWT @ momenta art
April 1- May 8, 2011
Practice was an exercise with which people made their thought processes and research transparent. The exercise was about allowing your creative thought processes to elaborate on how to make things better. This meant elaborating on how to contribute creatively towards bringing solutions to a public issue you deemed was not functioning well. This could be anywhere from a local situation like snow or trash removal in Brooklyn to more general concerns like completely switching to sustainable energy by 2020.
Practice was mostly about raising questions, and going deeper into a problem.
The more intricate and curious you were, the more elaborate your process would be. The more you practiced, the more links would become available.
One at a time a person sat by a computer and went online, as if this was the one and only resource to clarify all questions. Their procedure was made public via a projector with speakers. Participants were invited to do this in a silent way or by speaking up, explaining what their starting points were and how they connected to different questions.
Participants were either nominated by another or signed up out of their own will. The only parameter for being able to practice was that you committed to at least 30 minutes of live practice in one session, and that you nominated at least one other person to Practice.