You Are Here

This article tells the story of how You Are Here came about, including its obstacles, pauses and reactivations. You Are Here is a piece of public art consisting of signs placed on the sidewalks of a neighborhood. Each sign contains a QR code that links to videos that narrate fictionalized memories that have to do with the public spaces of that neighborhood. The stories are based on personal memories, interviews with neighbors, and research into street names and the businesses that once existed on those streets. The listener must follow the route to access the stories, and thus, participate in the fabric of the microhistories that make up the identity of those spaces. This article explains how this artistic experience was developed and later adapted in the teacher training classroom.