Allora & Calzadilla

Chalk 1998–ongoing

Chalk
20.32 x 50.8 cm (diameter) each

About the Work

Chalk is an evolving interactive artwork that invites communities to engage in spontaneous mark-making, turning their surroundings into a large-scale collaborative chalkboard. Chalk fosters play and creativity, encouraging participants to reconnect with their inner child. The project began in 2002 in a public square in Lima, Peru, as part of the Bienal Iberoamericana de Arte. Installed in cities across the globe—including Peru, Boston, Paris, Mexico, New York, and Sydney—each iteration takes on a unique character, shaped by local culture, social dynamics, and political influences. In this way, Chalk becomes a living social portrait, reflecting the uniqueness of each city.

About the Artist

Puerto Rico–based artists Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla explore relationships between history, material culture and environmentalism through various artistic media, including performance, sculpture, sound, video, and photography. Their multifaceted approach emphasises both conceptual and material aspects, blending metaphor with fact. Their work includes studying ephemeral collective drawings with human-sized chalk sticks, creating temporary art spaces that foster creative self-expression, idea exchange, and social and political activism, serving as a platform for the public and reflections on modern society.