The Club, 2016-17
Community and cultural space through collaborative experimentation.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY, US.
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For more than a year The Club was part open-door clubhouse, not-for-profit cafe, library / reading room, artist studio, performance space, dance floor, and more.
Starting from empty space, The Club was designed and activated as an ongoing and open not-for-profit collaboration with the goal to create an idealized third space — a place besides home and work — of a kind that’s disappeared from New York City as rent goes up, limiting experimentation and non-commercial activity.
Without set hours, signage, promotion or online presence, The Club simply existed when it was active — when someone wanted to open it up for any non-commercial communal or cultural activity. The requirement was that regardless of what you wanted to do, you would open the door and welcome anyone who came in. Everyone who entered was openly welcome to be in the space without buying anything. To sit and relax, read our books, or strike up a conversation with whoever might be there.
With support from Carl Chen, Sara Moffat, Grace Villamil, Jason Maccaroni, Fabrice Nadjari, Youmna Chamcham, Marina Katz, Henry Rich, and everyone who collaborated in the conception of The Club, opened for a few hours, activated for an event, and performed.
The Club commenced with a month of one-on-one conversations about what the space should be, how it should operate, how the economics would work, what the design should be, and what participation looked like. Ideas were recorded on the walls for the next conversation to consider — allowing for an evolution with each conversation.
The Club was built out and decorated with existing studio furniture, items left over from past projects, stuff from second-hand / thrift stores, contributions from collaborators, and a few new items we couldn’t piece together otherwise.
The most common activation of The Club was someone deciding they wanted to come by for a few hours and open the door for anyone to enter.
The Club was also activated when people wanted to host events — from listening parties to crafts sessions, chess tournaments to performances, guided meditation to dance parties; and any other non-commercial communal or cultural activity where the door would be open and anyone who came in was welcome.
Operations for The Club were minimal, and based on trust. Whoever opened the space would put aside any money made from selling drinks, re-stock the fridge, clean-up and go. At the end of the month we paid our rent in cash; and if anything was left-over it went to improving the space.
The Club, 2016-17
