Abstract
“After decades of neglect Chicago’s South Side is getting some attention. But of what sort, and what does it mean?Surfaces is about our relationship to place and time. A moment when we can gather and talk about the positive and negative changes within the community underneath larger­than­life videos of the people and nature of Greater Grand Crossing. I want to highlight how we treat/value property versus how we treat/value ourselves and show signs of change through a community based media project. A special thanks to the people of the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood, Rebuild Foundation and the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events for all their support.”
–– MGF

Marco G. Ferrari was a resident Film Fellow at Black Cinema House from December 2014–June 2015, where he managed, co-­curated and participated in screenings, discussions and events. The culmination of his fellowship was Surfaces, a community based film project with a pedagogical approach that offered free video workshops for neighborhood residents.

Surfaces was a poetic reflection of the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood. A film made up of images crafted by Ferrari and inspired by participants during a series of free video workshops he organized within the community, with the assistance of local filmmakers Joshua Jackson and Jabari Gross. He projected Surfaces I onto the abandoned Saint Laurence School building (1392 E. 72nd, Chicago, Illinois) at sunset on June 21, 2015 (Father’s Day and the Summer Solstice) where it looped continuously until 11pm. The free outdoor projection event coincided with an open house at Theaster Gates’ Black Cinema House (located just down the street) where cuisine was provided by Chef Kristopher Murray and Surfaces II looped prefacing the outdoor event. This introduced the concept of Food & Art as Medicine, an ongoing collaborative project between Chef Murray and Ferrari that explores the regenerative experience between food and cinema.

Film Participants
Godfried Annansey; Derrick B—?; Nathaniel Bowdry; Cinstance; Avion Duncan; Martinze Duncan; Kevin Flowers; Timothy Franklin; Oswald Garbutt; Ameera Green; Amon Green; Thomas Harris; Derriona Jiles; Fatimah Malone; De Becton Mason; Khalilah Mawson; Yolanda Phillips; Edward Purcell; Demetrius Redd; Juinus Scott; Donnie Smith; Willie Sam Smith; Jeremiah Sykes; John Westbrook; Frank Willams; Traeyvon Young

Workshop Participants
Alexandra Antoine; Elle; Zaneta Clarke; Jabari Gross; James O. Gross; Karen Gross; Fatimah Malone; Edgar Tostado