A public art project installed at 48 Geneva Ave, in the Grove Hall neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, from September 8 - October 26, 2019.
Sobremesa (Karaoke Politics) is a public art project by artist Daniela Rivera that was installed in an empty outdoor lot in the Grove Hall neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The word and concept of sobremesa refers to a Pan-Hispanic cultural practice that was brought to the Americas by Spanish colonizers. During sobremesa, plates and leftovers as well as conversations and memories begin to literally and figuratively accumulate on top (sobre) of the dinner table (mesa). Drawing on communal practices that challenge expectations, the project invited the local community and public to step onto a stage of connected tables and use it as a platform for public discourse, performances (including an organized karaoke event), gatherings and leisure. The platform was constructed of multiple repurposed tables which were reinforced by a supporting structure and made accessible by stairs and a ramp. With variations in color and size, each table top become a territory within a larger map, and the bodies of the occupants traversed these symbolic boundaries both physically and though their shared experience. Sobremesa (Karaoke Politics) thus created an open space for public vulnerability, expression and equity, while standing in recognition of great value that lies in difference.
The project included an opening karaoke event open to all, and a closing that included a sound event in collaboration with Calico Art Collective, composer and sound artist Jenny Olivia Johnson, and featured a Taiko drumming and spoken word performance by Older and Bolder under the direction of Karen Young, as well as karaoke performances and line dancing.
The project was generously supported by the Now + There Public Art Accelerator, with in-kind support from The Trust For Public Land. It also included collaborations with community patterns including The Grove Hall Branch of the PUblic Library, the BCYF Grove Hall Community and Senior Center, the Jeremiah Burke High School, the Mother Caroline Academy & Education Center, and local businesses located in proximity of the site.
Project drawing, ink on paper
Project drawing, colored pencil on paper