Re-Place-ing Philadelphia

Built on a foundation of public dialogue and interaction, the Re-Place-ing Philadelphia project used art as a lens to examine the geography of Philadelphia and its complex histories, as a basis to uncover forgotten histories. The 20-month project was designed to be open-ended, flexible, and permeable, generating a stream of performances, artworks, lectures, readings, and conversations that responded to the city and created forums for new ideas. A core group of artists aided the Painted Bride in transforming their programs, infrastructure, and facilities, including Congolese dancer and choreographer Faustin Linyekula, and Guggenheim Fellow Reggie Wilson. Re-Place-ing Philadelphia also engaged three "free radicals"—theater artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, 2007 Pew Fellow and musician King Britt, and dance scholar Brenda Dixon Gottschild—to serve as on-the-ground researchers and advisors.