Mara Aceves, Mexican born Paris-based designer, is working with Deirdre Towers on a public arts project tentatively called Une Petite Grace. Sheepishly we admit we’d like this project to be the Swiss Army knife of projects, many things to many people in different circumstances, at different times of the day. It started with my dance film life and searching for the perfect black box to film a solo which led to the idea of expanding the size of photo booths, and adding cameras, lights, sounds, smells (all controllable).
Then the protests began this fall, I suddenly felt a need to give back more than joining a parade. And so, the black box morphed into a public rest room (without the plumbing). Still working on what to call this stand-alone rest room, sanctuary, place to go to be alone or scream – and record what’s in your heart.
With the usual vacillations, the idea continues to morph between something for the world, and something for myself those craving a creative space with good vibes.
What if giving everyone a reprieve, a clean safe place to be still, alone, scream, sing, dance or sleep, or pray helped start a wave of positivity, of peace. Ok 7 ways to use Une Petite Grace is not as versatile as the Swiss Army knife with its 33 attachments, but we are addressing how the room could be useful in the morning for choreographers, and homeless at night.
was shown in BAAD!Ass Women’s Festival 2024 with Olyda Ola and Nellie Tirado singing, dancing live, in Bronx World Film Series 2024 at La Nacional and and with the Hudson Valley Flamenco Festival 2023 in Rosendale, NY.
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NWD Projects as part of National Water Dance hosted Deirdre Towers August 23-29, 2020 in South Thomaston, Maine.
Bell 8 Global Water Dance Day 2017
The original installation was presented by:
Lilac Preservation Project 7/22-9/22/2017
Waterfront Museum in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the month of 6/2017
Long Island City Arts Open 2016 – “Landscapes From Below” at W3
Multi-media versions were produced by Dixon Place and Hudson Valley Flamenco Festival