1-800 Happy Birthday
project overview
1-800 Happy Birthday is a public art project by WORTHLESSSTUDIOS and artist Mohammad Gorjestani that honors the lives and legacies of Black and Brown people killed by police. Originally conceived as a voicemail project, the work expanded into a large-scale exhibition featuring twelve upcycled New York City pay phones, inviting visitors to listen to messages from loved ones and leave voicemails of their own.
For the inaugural exhibition, Powerhouse Arts’ Public Art Department refurbished the vintage phone booths and brought them back to working condition, while upgrading and customizing their internal electronics to support the project’s interactive audio component. PHA’s Digital Print Lab produced the custom printed elements, and the Public Art team completed the installation of the booths as part of the exhibition.
The phone booths have continued beyond the inaugural exhibition as a traveling public artwork, bringing the project into new communities and public spaces. A second round of booths was recently installed in New York City at Ashland Place in Downtown Brooklyn and Tompkinsville Park in Staten Island.
Project Team Members (Powerhouse Arts Staff):
Alondra Acevedo, Alec Reed, Brenna Board, Brittni Collins, Cuba, Dennis Hrehowsik, Daniel Quinn, Jeremy Gender, Kelsey Breen, Rich Watts, Sheyda Azar, Tommy Coleman
Materials & Dimensions:
Refurbished phone booth, stainless steel, solar panels, electronic components, UV printing, acrylic.
Commissioner/Funder/Presenter(s):
WORTHLESSSTUDIOS
