![\"Bonnie](\"https:\/\/alivinglibrary.org\/archive-site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/thumb_IMG_3382_1024.jpg\" "\\"Bonnie")
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As part of the 57th edition of The Venice Biennale<\/i>, curated by Christine Macel<\/b>, Chief Curator of the Pompidou Center in Paris, Bonnie Ora Sherk<\/b>, along with Marie Voignier<\/b>, another artist featured in this year\u2019s Biennale, were interviewed by Maria Pesavento, <\/b>at the Open Table (Tavola Aperta<\/i>) on October 07, 2017 at the Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy.<\/span><\/p>\n Bonnie Ora discussed her work and installation in the Arsenale, in the Pavillion of the Earth<\/i> in La Biennale, called, <\/span>Evolution of Life Frames: past, present, future <\/i><\/strong><\/span>with the visitors, over a casual lunch at the Tavola Aperta<\/i>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Link to full video discussion on La Biennale Website<\/b>:<\/span><\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3w7wF0CFnKA&t=300s<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Excerpts from her talk<\/b>:<\/span><\/p>\n Bonnie Ora explained two major works exhibited at La Biennale \u2014 Crossroads Community (the farm) <\/i><\/b>and A Living Library<\/i><\/b>. Crossroads Community (the farm), <\/i>a pioneering artwork, involved development of an urban farm and art center that incorporated a major freeway interchange in San Francisco, beginning in 1974.<\/span><\/p>\n Giving an overview about A Living Library<\/i>, she elaborated: <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA Living Library is a planetary genre. I work with place-based ecological transformation of communities and schools, and each unique intervention, or each Branch Living Library & Think Park, is place-based, linking the local resources of the community \u2014 human, ecological, economic, historic, technological, and aesthetic. When we look at those assets in each community through the lens of time: past, present and future, no matter where we are, we find incredible richness.\u00a0 <\/span>I work with the community to develop a Master Plan for transformation that incorporates the local resources. The processes of creating a Master Plan with the community is also a learning program for the community. The work has to do with the transformation of places that interlinks with systemically integrated hands-on programs and learning opportunities for all ages.\u201d <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n In her installation on A Living Library<\/i>, three Branch Living Library & Think Park<\/i>s are shown in addition to an Overview Section<\/i><\/b>: the OMI\/Excelsior Living Library & Think Park<\/i><\/b> (San Francisco), the Bernal Heights Living Library Nature Walk<\/i><\/b> (San Francisco), and the Roosevelt Island Living Library & Think Park<\/i><\/b> (New York City).<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe big idea is to develop Branch Living Library & Think Parks in diverse parts of the world – locally and globally – and to link them through Green-Powered Digital Gateways, multi-functional, or multi-Funcshuional sculptural elements in the landscape that allow for bringing water forth from the earth as may be needed, showcasing local resources and processes of communities through multimedia archives, and also allowing for live interactive broadcast between places.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n Discussing her work with live animals in Portable Parks 1-111<\/i>, Public Lunch, <\/i>and Crossroads Community (the farm)<\/i>, she emphasized:\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI wanted to create opportunities for people to understand the native intelligences of different species of animals, and to get over the human presumption that we are the center of the universe.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Elaborating on the goals of A Living Library <\/i>and <\/i>Life Frames, Inc<\/i><\/b>. <\/i>the non-profit sponsor of A.L.L<\/i>. that she founded and directs, Bonnie Ora continued to say:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA Living Library provides a framework for understanding linked systems \u2014 biological, cultural, and technological \u2013 It is time for us to begin working together and thinking this way.\u00a0 <\/span>The work is systemic, ecological design and it has to do with the transformation of places, and then transformation of people in the places. It is time for us to evolve as human creatures and understand how we all are interconnected, with each other and other species.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n In answering this question, she referred to the work underway now in the Rear Yard of James Denman Middle School in San Francisco, and its transformation from a barren concrete expanse to a series of California Native Learning Zones<\/i> filled with trees and understory plants, and she explained how the documentation is important to really see and understand the work over time.<\/span><\/p>\n To watch the full conversation at Tavola Aperta in\u00a0<\/i>La Biennale<\/em>\u00a02017, please go to <\/span>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3w7wF0CFnKA&t=300s<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n![\"Bonnie](\"https:\/\/alivinglibrary.org\/archive-site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/thumb_IMG_3380_1024.jpg\")
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