Michigan Central Station (MCS) was once the thriving epicenter of the city of Detroit and the whole Midwest. Designed by the renowned architects that also developed the Grand Central Station in New York City, it opened in 1913 and consisted of a 3 story train station with an 18 story office tower. Nowadays the MCS sits – with most of its windows broken – amidst a void neighborhood of empty buildings, houses and land. An ultimate symbol of the automobile’s complete triumph over public transportation.
In close collaboration with The University of Michigan School of Art & Design – and in conjunction with students from a seminar of professor David Chung – Berlin artist Franz John started in March 2007 with his investigation and research on history and future of MCS building and its neighborhood.
Project Outline
Originally the location of the MCS was chosen because owners thought the downtown would expand to the area. The opposite happened: with the Great Depression came the end of the interurban service and the slow decline began. The MCS was being less used, as it depended the most on passenger travel. It was closed step by step after 1967 and was sold in 1984. Throughout the 90s, the building remained wide open to trespass, and was tremendously vandalised during that time.
The Detroit MCS was an exceptionally beautiful building, flanking massive arched windows were pairs of Corinthian columns. Looking through some of the top floor windows – or from the roof – an imagined visitor would have a gorgeous view, overlooking most parts of the city from downtown Detroit to Windsor in Canada.
For safety reasons it will be very difficult to allow such views to public, or to let people enter the building in its current state. So the basic intention and first step for a long-term Detroit project is to “reanimate” the abandoned train station in an artistic and metaphorical way, bringing virtually “the lights” and life back to the building.
Beside of the described aesthetics and aura of the building, a train station – in its social use – is a metaphor by itself. A place of coming and going, a place where people meet and exchange. The reanimated old train station with its web-based meeting points corresponds with such metaphors. The final result cannot be controlled – as public places can´t be controlled – but presumably this internationally accessible train station will likely “transport” new ideas and new thinkings, forming a multifacetted image, through which we can see past, present and future of Detroit in a broader perspective. This way “Thinking Detroit” tangents manifold aspects, like bringing back a “time honoured” and an energy efficient transport system into debate.
A “virtual building” in real – which people can enter, is rather unique. I envision a communicative art project in which the audience or public plays an active role, for instance by using virtual rooms, floors or windows of the empty building – or by using installed webcams in the “real neighborhood” which allows instant switch of perspectives. Planned in modules and webbased docking stations, Thinking Detroit aims in longer terms for an interactive art installation inside of the MCS building which shall be accessible through the internet.
The project began in March 2007, in collaborations with art students from the University of Michigan, using techniques like film, photography, light projections or the internet (tele presence, blog technology, immersion interface).
(c) Franz John
http://www.f-john.de
webdesign: franz john