Goverthing facts for kids
Goverthing was a super cool art project that happened in 2009. It was set up on Governors Island in New York Harbor, USA. This exhibit pretended to be a small town that had been buried under sand.
What Was Goverthing?
Goverthing was presented as a small town that supposedly existed on Governors Island until 1954. The story went that the city of New York thought the town was unsafe. Instead of tearing it down, they simply buried it in sand!
Years later, during digging for a new park on the island, this "lost town" was supposedly found again. The park plans were put on hold. Instead, a big project started to "dig up" and restore the town.
The Creative Minds Behind Goverthing
The person in charge of showing off this "rediscovered" town was Geert Hautekiet. He is an artist from Belgium. Geert is famous for his unique art styles, like "guerilla theater" and "conceptual art."
- Guerilla theater means surprise performances in public places.
- Conceptual art focuses on the idea behind the art, not just how it looks.
Many people thought Goverthing was a clever and fun trick. This idea grew stronger because the "discovery" of the town happened at the same time as the New Island Festival. This was a Dutch art festival held on Governors Island from September 10 to 20, 2009.
Other Similar Art Projects
Goverthing wasn't the first art project to use a fake archaeological theme. A New York City artist named George Spencer created a similar exhibit in 2002. His project mixed sculptures and live performances to create a pretend archaeological dig.
