:: providence state prison/ providence place mall, 1839-2005 ::

intervention Providence Place Mall :: 5.28 10a-1p

presentation The Steel Yard :: 5.29 3:30p

Between 1994 and 1997, the Public Archaeology Laboratory (PAL) conducted an archaeological excavation of the first Rhode Island State Prison at the site currently occupied by the Providence Place Mall. The goal of my project is to explore the social and cultural impact of the history and architecture of this complex site. The project will examine the conceptual and physical similarities and differences between the different institutions that have occupied the space since the filling of the cove and the building of the prison. It will explore the dialectic between the controlling force of a constructed landscape, such as the mall or the prison, and human agency.

Toward this goal, I will produce a series of tourist postcards depicting the history of the space. These postcards will then be distributed to shoppers inside and/or outside of the Providence Place Mall. The cards will contain maps and photos from the archaeological investigation, historical maps, historical photographs and archival material, etc. On the back will be a description of the image, or a quote informing the reader of the social and cultural implications of the space they occupy. The postcards will hopefully engage the reader to view their environment in a different light and begin to forge their own new mental pathways through the mall and city. I would also liek to document the process of handing out the postcards and people's reactions to them. This project will be both an intervention and an unconventional tactic for educating the public about the history of the mall location.

about the artist

Weston Davey