Alex Strada's 'Public Address' Brings Shelter Residents' Words to the Bronx
On September 14, Alex Strada's project 'Public Address' was unveiled in the Bronx, showcasing handwritten accounts from more than 400 unhoused individuals and shelter personnel across various locations. This initiative, which utilizes log entries from shelter workshops, marks Strada's inaugural work as the artist-in-residence for the New York Department of Homeless Services (DHS). The narratives are presented on aluminum signs provided by the Department of Transportation in busy areas. Set to launch in Manhattan in October 2025, the project will extend to all five boroughs by March 2027. The stories cover personal experiences and highlight issues such as housing searches for undocumented immigrants and the difficulties of homelessness, with Strada aiming to confront stereotypes related to this topic.
Key facts
- 'Public Address' by Alex Strada opened in the Bronx on Monday, September 14.
- The installation features handwritten testimonies from over 400 unhoused New Yorkers and shelter staff.
- It appears at a dozen locations across the Bronx.
- Messages were drawn from log entries recorded at workshops held in New York City shelters.
- Strada is the inaugural artist-in-residence for the New York Department of Homeless Services (DHS).
- The texts were translated onto aluminum signs from the Department of Transportation.
- Signs are installed on street corners, in parks, and in other high-traffic areas frequented by unhoused people.
- The project debuted in Manhattan in October 2025 and will have appeared in all five boroughs by March 2027.
- Depicted content includes an Ecuadorian mother who fled to New York with her two daughters, an assemblage of multicolored hearts, and intimate letters about homelessness.
- Letters address finding housing as an undocumented immigrant, balancing high school without shelter, and sudden eviction.
- Strada told Hyperallergic she hopes the project is a jumping off point for more just realities not mired in stereotype or misperception.
Entities
Artists
- Alex Strada
- David L. Johnson
- Rose Salane
- Michael Oliver
- Henri Lefebvre
- Roxy
Institutions
- New York Department of Homeless Services
- Department of Transportation
- Hyperallergic
- Storefront for Art and Architecture
- Department of Homeless Services
- Department of Cultural Affairs
- Department of Transportation's Sign Shop
- Public Works series
Locations
- Bronx
- New York City
- Manhattan
- New York
- United States
- Ecuador
- Brooklyn
- Columbus Park
- Lt. Petrosino Square
- Borough Hall