Touch Grass: The Healing Power of Vulnerability
Research shows people in cities are hyper aware of their surroundings. Over a lifetime, this hyper awareness leads to a higher incidence of physical and mental illness.
Touch Grass is a social experiment funded by The Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts. Our goal: model the healing power of vulnerability.
To create the project, I curated a cross-section of a dozen city residents. I then invited them to meet a strange man with a camera in the park.
When they arrived, I asked they wear vision-blocking dark glasses. I also asked they lie prone.
Vital organs facing the sky.
Lest I be mistaken for a sadist, I also made myself vulnerable.
On 6 separate occasions I hauled the tools with which I earn a living to a park to meet strangers from the internet.
Alone.
For a brief moment in the summer of 2024, we proved it was possible to relax. Sit with your back to the proverbial door. Some people are worthy of trust.
A reminder we need now more than ever.
We believe this project reinforces the value of city parks. If you are a municipality that would like to host an installation of this work, please get in touch: noah@thepeopleofdetroit.com