Ghana Think Tank in Corona

May 08 - August 21, 2011

GHANA THINK TANK: DEVELOPING THE FIRST WORLD.

The Ghana Think Tank is a group of think tanks in the “Developing” world that has been solving the problems of the “First” world since 2006. They collect problems from citizens of the “First” world (primarily the U.S. & U.K.), send them to a growing network of think tanks in Ghana, Cuba, El Salvador, Iran, Afghanistan, Mexico, Serbia and Kosovo, then put their solutions into action back in the “First” world, whether those solutions seem brilliant or impractical.

For instance, people in Wales complained that about the generation gap between the elderly & the young. Our Iran Think Tank suggested we record funny, dirty memories of the elderly, & then play them on mp3 players for the youth. So, we walked through markets, bars, & bookstores, doing just that! Other problems have included homelessness, obesity, lack of diversity, & ‘my neighbors say my dog barks too much,’ resulting in solutions including installing parking blocks, distributing race-cards, renaming a dog ‘love,’ & setting up public chess-sets,

NOW, THE GHANA THINK TANK IS COMING TO CORONA.

During the summer of 2011, GTT will operate out of a kitted-out trailer inspired by the elaborate food carts that abound in Corona. The trailer will contain a mailbox, a video camera, video-screens, a satellite dish, a fold-out lawn for outdoor meetings, & assorted tools for community actions. And this time with Queens Museum of Art, GTT’s operation has a twist: because Corona is such an international place, we will be creating a new, international Corona Think Tank! Catch the Ghana Think Tank trailer in the streets of Corona and throughout Flushing Meadows Corona Park this spring and summer.

Ghana Think Tank was founded in 2006 by Christopher Robbins, John Ewing and Matey Odonkor. Carmen Montoya joined the project in 2009.

Ghana Think Tank in Corona is part of the Queens Museum of Art’s Corona Studio initiative, a residency program that embeds artists in the local community. Ghana Think Tank was selected through Creative Time’s Open Door public art competition, hosted at the Queens Museum of Art on July 28, 2010.

Ghana Think Tank in Corona is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, Lily Auchincloss Foundation, and The Greenwall Foundation. Additional funding provided by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts.

Click here to visit the Ghana Think Tank website for more information