PINATA FACTORY
Grand Ave. Overpass, Western Ave. Underpass, Sacramento
Blvd. Underpass…
Contact: manilikecheese@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12/18/08
CHICAGO-Come one, come all to the freeing of the Piñata Factory's flock throughout
Chicago's North Side underneath highways in your neighborhood. Piñata Factory is a
one time community based sculptural installation organized in collaboration with arts
organizations throughout Chicago, a high school art classroom on the South Side, and a
number of Chicago artists. It aims to draw attention to the issue of homelessness in
Chicago and the spaces that used to act as shelter before they were fenced off/in.
Pinata Factory is a mass production of piñatas that will be installed in the fenced off
area of highway underpasses in the next 4 days. The piñatas are the output but are far
less important than the community and awareness brought about by the process of
manufacturing. Over 60 Chicago area youth, more than 30 community members, and
numerous artist volunteers provide a large scale and social context.
The piñatas are made of materials reclaimed from the Center for Green Technologies
dumpsters and trash piles alike throughout Chicago. The paper mache pinatas are
%100 biodegradable and are stuffed with emergency space blankets in case some of
the underpasses are inhabited. Production began at the factory nearly two years ago in
a makeshift workshop on Chicago's West Side. Demand increased as the fences went
up and now we are out of space.
In this collapsing economy the factory can no longer afford the high cost of storing the
piñatas or feeding the volunteers. Labor conditions also began to deteriorate as
temperatures fell and it became evident that it is time to release these recycled beasts
to the streets from which they came. So come on down to your nearest underpass to
see if the menagerie is in your neighborhood (bring a plastic bat and a ladder if you
need a blanket).