CO–: The space kind of becomes a document in and of itself of a lot of the history that’s taken place here, which I think is fantastic. What came up in PEER REVIEW was this idea of “holding space.” And it makes sense in a place like this. There’s no sole ownership of it, but it’s something that is able to be temporarily transferable to whomever is coming in and have their voice be represented. What does the term “holding space” mean to Wendy’s Subway?
RV: It’s really at the core of everything that we do. “Holding space” is a phrase I’ve encountered in many different contexts, from facilitating discussion, to allowing for certain kinds of unforeseen possibilities. It sort of gets to the openness of what we’re trying to do—hat space can be occupied by any number of people, but there’s still a job of facilitation, administration, and care that goes into that. That’s very important.
Alex Kim and Mark Anthony Hernandez Motaghy interview Artistic Director Rachel Valinsky for an issue of Paprika!dedicated to architectures of collectivity, collaboration, and community. Read the full interview here or download the issue here.
Paprika! is a student-curated publication produced by the Yale University School of Architecture, which aims to broadcast diverse voices in the fields of art, architecture and design. Founded in 2014, Paprika! is named after the vibrant orange carpet in Rudolph Hall. Every issue of Paprika! is a newspaper broadsheet uniquely designed by students from Yale’s Graphic Design program.