We then visited the Federal plaza surrounded by the John C. Kluczynski building, the Everett McKinley Dirksen building and the Post office building all tree designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, famous architect who designed the German pavilion. In the center of the plaza, stands a 16 meter tall red painted steel sculpture called Flamingo. The sculpture was commissioned by the Government Service Administration and installed in 1974. Its vibrant color and twisted shape clashes with the gray box-shaped buildings surrounding it.
By Noura
The Chicago Cultural Center
While in the Loop we also visited the Chicago Cultural Center. The Center opened in 1897 as the city’s very first public library. It is home to a huge Tyffany dome (it’s the largest in the world!).
Wall of Respect
While we visited the Chicago Cultural Center, we were lucky enough to catch an exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Wall of Respect. The first picture we saw as we entered the exhibit hall was a real life picture of the Wall itself. It felt like being transported onto a street in the South Side then!
The Wall of Respect was a mural created in 1967. It was an initiative of the Black Arts Movement and was composed of thematic portraits of African American figures: civil rights movement leaders and activists, sportsmen, musicians, dancers, writers and performers, as well as moments from the struggle against slavery. People such as Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali or Aretha Franklin were featured on the wall. It was conceptualized and realized during the Visual Arts Workshop of the Organization of Black American Culture (Obac). Located in the South Side, it was in the center of the African-American neighborhood of the city Martin Luther King had described as the “most segregated city in the US”. The media used were very eclectic, ranging from photography to painting or print.
However the Wall was not limited to its visual presence. It soon became a collective landmark, a place of expression, of tribute and resistance in a poverty stricken ghetto of Chicago. Artists would have spoken words, performances, play music in front of the Wall, turning it into a space of celebration and empowerment for the African-American community.
The Wall of Respect
Unfortunately, the wall was vandalized and became the scene of violent acts. It was taken down in 1971 for safety reasons after (most probably criminal) fire that caused its damage.
Although this wall was a victim of violence from racist people it nevertheless claimed an everyday surface as a highly visible celebration of black experience and successfully elicited reciprocal identification, and a sense of collective ownership, by local people.. The fact that this wall had a lot of problems proved that racism was still very present in the 60s and that was a big issue, many people couldn’t accept the fact that black people were just as important as white people so they responded with disrespect and ignorance. But overall the “Wall of respect had a positive effect on society and showed people the importance of Black Arts Movement.
Alexander
From Oslo to Chicago: stories of migration / A travel log by the Year 10. 