Reclaiming, Reusing and Remembering Detroit: Tim Burke (video)

Energy & Sustainability

On a visit to the Heidelberg Project outdoor art installation in Detroit, we happened across longtime Detroit resident and artist Tim Burke. Tim filled us in on the tragedy of, and artistic opportunity in, the destruction of some of Detroit’s most interesting and historic buildings. In addition to losing architectural landmarks, artworks within these buildings are also lost.

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6 thoughts on “Reclaiming, Reusing and Remembering Detroit: Tim Burke (video)

  1. Anonymous says:

    Kudos to Tim Burke.  Flaccidly lamenting the loss of architecture in the city, as so many are apt to do, does nothing for the future.  Detroit has lived / and lives now as a place in which artist and makers can afford to thrive and create.  From the Corridor, to Eastern Market, to the far flung corners of Ann Arbor, Greater Detroit has a bright future, not just a shining past.  Save the art worth saving, and tear down the rest.  Let the rubble fuel the new forges, and let the assembly lines churn out dreams.

  2. AMalePoet says:

    Mr Burke seems to be pointing out that from building materials reused or to re purpose a building an area’s history and character can live on.  Up-cycling is nearly a DIY rule. can’t feed your cat with a VCR and a meat grinder if you threw them out. A new term I picked up along the way is Urbanite which to put it simply is concrete rubble. Why do we see the need to toss out bricks and metal? Bricks can be used over and over until you make more bricks out of them. Metal much like plastic just needs to be heated to either reform it or add stuff to it. 
    From old flooring to the common pallets all could be reused in some fashion. I shiver when I remember going with a friend to collect free pallets to burn on summer Friday nights.  How wasteful when we could have built something instead of them being destroyed. 

  3. Ashley Karse says:

    It’s nice to see this. There are so many historic buildings in Detroit that are worth looking into and I wish people would embrace them more often. This site has some great photos taken by a documentary photographer. Many of the photos include Detroit landmarks http://detroit138squaremiles.com/julia-reyes-taubmans-day-trip-underrated-detroit-landmarks

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In addition to being an online editor for MAKE Magazine, Michael Colombo works in fabrication, electronics, sound design, music production and performance (Yes. All that.) In the past he has also been a childrens' educator and entertainer, and holds a Masters degree from NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program.

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