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The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Revolving Voices features four octagonal structures highlighting the poetry and words of Resident Artist Tamra Cosby and the Astoria Houses community.

Photo credit:
Charles Darr

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Revolving Voices serves not just as a visual work but as a functional gathering space for residents.

Photo credit:
Charles Darr

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Wrapped within the artwork are the words of local poet Tamra Cosby, created with the Astoria Houses community.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Each unit rotates to be reoriented for different experiences within the space.

Photo credit:
Charles Darr

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Local Astoria dance team performs in front of the artwork.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

The interior panels feature powerful messages, stories, and poetry from Tamra Cosby and other community members, created through community workshops.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Local poet Tamra Cosby performs her poem that wraps around the inside of the artwork.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

The words within the artwork are cut out to allow for a textural moment for people to literally feel the words within the work.

Photo credit:
Charles Darr

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Revolving Voices sits at Hallet's Cove overlooking the Manhattan skyline.

Photo credit:
Ryan Swanson

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

The exterior perforated imagery celebrates the people, talents, and stories that make up the Astoria Houses Community.

Photo credit:
Charles Darr

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

A young resident sits inside the structures for moments of quiet reflection while encountering the stories and memories of their neighbors.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

The movement of the artwork allows the community to make it theirs and adjust it as they want it to be set up.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Inspired by the form of a megaphone, the octagonal structures metaphorically amplify and project the voices of the Astoria Houses community.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

During community events, Revolving Voices creates as a backdrop for performance, music, conversation, and shared expression.

Photo credit:
Charles Darr

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Designed to be an intergenerational space, Revolving Voices invites people of different ages to play, gather, and connect.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

Through the co-design process, community members shared their memories and experiences that informed the stories and imagery embedded within the piece.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

The structures are rotated toward the waterfront and the broader public, inviting passersby to pause, listen, and learn about the community behind the artwork.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

The structures create a playable landscape that encourages people to climb, explore, lounge, and gather.

Photo credit:
Tameek Williams

The Urban Conga Unveils “Revolving Voices” at New York Public Housing in Collaboration with Local Poet Tamra Cosby
The Urban Conga

As the forms rotate, they frame different views of Astoria and create new relationships between the installation, the public, and the Astoria Houses community.

Photo credit:
Charles Darr