A SHORT MEMORY OF FOOD AND SPACE- The Tacarigua Sculptural PlaySpace Project - in Integrating Food and Play. Creating a new spin in playing food.

A SHORT MEMORY OF FOOD AND SPACE.
The Tacarigua Sculptural PlaySpace Project - in Integrating Food and Play. Creating a new spin in playing food.

I remember food, I remember Mr. Lal, (who owned a small wooden shack/shop on the south, western edge of the northern football field, bounded by the Orange Grove Road and what is now the Priority Bus Route). We will stop there on our way to and from church, this was the routine, every Saturday, Mr. Lal, as I knew him, was the first vendor and as I came to learn, an illegal vendor, which the The Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation had to settle with him to remove him.

As time went on, I grew; there became popular for foodies, and vendors alike, time will slow down, as we steeped out of maxis, to walk south into Trincity, mind you the original Trincity was designed by architect, Colin Laird. Time stood still as we will hang out with the coconut vendor, with a little rum being brought by all to consume with the cool nut, other bredrens will fall in. The Coconut Man, was there long time, then came others, not sure who was first or last, they just came, then there were options to go with the lime, 

• Fruit
• Doubles
• Cooked Food 

There was a varying degree of permanence, people seem to come, to go, I'm familiar with The Coconut Man! they have been there in my teens, man dem dey still!

AN ERA HAS GONE, ANOTHER HAS ARRIVED!
Now, that era has changed, through a social art-design methodology, we're in the process of evolving the space, the community in understanding how vending will happen in the Trincity, Tacarigua, Orange Grove Community. Through an act of collaboration, with the state, and long term collaboration, as an artists, I have learned many languages, 

1. the language of the architect
2. the language of the state
3. the language of community

 The language of the architect,
I have worked with Architect, Sean Leonard, in shaping this idea for multiple presentations, politicians, corporate and community, each having interesting challenges. But none more challenging than the artist! This collaboration has been a long one since the early 2000!

WORKING IDEAS, WOKING IDEAS, STAYING IN IDEAS
I have worked in collaboration throughout my career as a creative thinker, working with welders, designers, craft people, all varying degrees of negotiation...the challenge of the artist, working with multiple players in the game, is keeping the integrity of the project alive, keeping the essence of the project intact, it's integrity....

As an artist, working this route, also accept that ideas, 

1. evolve, 
2. morph, 
3. distill, 
4. contract, 
5. expand 

While understanding, as these things must happen, one thing that must be defended at all cost is the fundamental philosophical intention of the art-design project.....that one ingredient, which makes innovation happen in space. This is something, I have never really had to battle with Sean, there is that unique respect for the intention of the project, what we want to achieve, the willingness to see it achieved. 

There is debate on; how space can be 

1. operationalized, 
2. materiality; i.e. how do we use certain materials, plastics versus wood

The collaboration has opened up my understanding of the translation of ideas, while understanding the practicality of the construction industry and the craft person. 

In our group conversations, we have run afoul with that, misunderstanding, one opinion, stood their ground concerning pricing of items, for the playSpace, even when we're given assurances that this was normal practice in the industry. Understanding the many angles, to bringing something into spacial being from an architect's eye, has been my learning curve.

For Sean, I guess, he's learning as well, on collaborating with an artist's angst, let not forget my colleagues in the NGO, Dada&projects, who for real! learning the artist angst, this has been thrown on the table, most recently.

HOW TO DEAL WITH CREATIVES

RESPONSIBILITIES IN CARING FOR CREATIVE IDEAS

COPYRIGHTS, WHO OWN WHAT AND WHEN

HOW TO CARE

CONTRACTS

ROLES IN MOVING IDEAS

These sound simple, but it is one of the main! reason, we have not been able to tap into the cultural diversification of the country. As the state and further, our peoples, have no idea, in how to embrace, the creative.

This is what we will challenge as we move forward with the Tacarigua Sculptural PlaySpace Project. I hope I'll be able to work it out, come to some understanding, here through these journals.

But as we go along, I hope we can get a geographer to map the project, as it negotiate space and state.

Dean Arlen