Cold Storage:

---

The Cold Storage Story: Statement issued January 16, 2007:

At 6:15 a.m. on February 3, 2006, I arrived home and stared out of my studio window to find a freshly poured, 40,000 sq-ft concrete slab surrounded by dirt, graffiti, garbage, eighteen-wheelers, homeless persons and palm trees.  I fell in love with this loud and dusty construction site across the street.  Several months and hundreds of photographs later, as the final wall was lifted into place, the urge to go inside overwhelmed me.  I introduced myself to Chun, the owner.  In an unlikely act of neighborly generosity, he agreed to my request to use the site during non-construction hours.  My first entry was by way of a 325’ wire, which I used to split my stereo speakers between my own studio and this new space, acoustically claiming the site for creative enterprise. 

I began to use the site as the structure for investigating increased risk, fear, and failure by facilitating other artists’ occupation of the space for temporary projects – encouraging them to embrace the tentative and unstructured framework.  Cold Storage has housed thirty-five projects, one hundred and fifty artists/musicians, dozens of laborers and over fifteen hundred guests.  The materials are: the undefined use of a transitional site that is destined to distribute frozen squid, and the action of encouraging others to investigate with little bureaucracy and many unknowns.  Cold Storage became a way (a route) to reduce control within my art practice (a method).

---

Cold Storage Project Manifesto written the first week of November, 2006 authored mainly by neo enthusiast, Jen Hofer:


Dear Reader,

These thoughts are addressed to you as an invitation, an instigation, a spark, an aperture, an open window overlooking an open street, a form of tuning and a sort of tune.

Cold Storage is a space between.

Cold Storage is what happens in the space between the studio and the view from its windows, the asphalt-covered train tracks of industrial fifth street and the eighteen-wheelers and homeless persons who inhabit it, and the 40,000 square feet of polished concrete shifting constantly in response to construction which will eventually make it a giant freezer for squid, shrimp and vegetables.

Cold Storage has been a temporary home for laborers, builders, designers, architects, composers, friends, strangers, musicians, artists, dancers, teachers, bicycle enthusiasts, writers, students, interlopers, and beloved guests. Cold Storage welcomes you.

Cold Storage was ignited out of an act of neighborly trust and incongruous generosity and is avidly dedicated to projects that awaken and encourage experimentation and invite participation where it is least expected.

Cold Storage is open to anyone with an idea to actualize, a desire for participatory exploration, and a willingness to fail.

Cold Storage is ephemeral, with an unknown scope and imprecise function.

Cold Storage is a large-scale non-authorized aural, visual, physical, secret, tentative, historical, mythical, vacant, changing, organized, haphazard, unknown, illegal, legitimate, private, public, shared, closed, secured, dangerous, flexible site: a way to begin, a fleeting vision, an ongoing conversation. 

Cold Storage is a project of RoutesAndMethods and is located at the corner of fifth and Colyton streets along the Alameda Corridor in the Industrial District of Los Angeles. RoutesAndMethods is everywhere, or anywhere.

RoutesAndMethods is concerned with forms of communication. RoutesAndMethods is a form of communication.

---

Original statement issued on June 18, 2006:

Out of my studio window they are constructing a cold storage warehouse. It is about 40,000 sq ft with 45 ft high solid concrete walls. I have cultivated a relationship with the head of the project and he has given me permission to use the site during non-construction hours. The building method is fast paced and we need to act quickly to make the best use of the it. The goal is to add history, encourage risk taking, and to open the potential for failure. Proposals are gladly accepted by clicking here. To be added to the email list, contact mp@RoutesAndMethods.org.