The Charred Heidelberg Project Still Has Plenty of Impact

[Photography by Chris and Michelle Gerard]

Nearly a year has passed since the first fire at the Heidelberg Project consumed the OJ House. Since then, six of then project's ten main houses have been lost to arson, leading many to question what sort of future Tyree Guyton's creation might have.
This isn't the only adversity the Heidelberg Project has faced. Organizers have battled with the city for years over unpaid property taxes. Portions of the project were demolished by the City of Detroit twice during the 1990s. Art made out of discarded objects and abandonment isn't easy to eliminate in a city with a virtually unlimited supply of both.

While Heidelberg begins rebuilding, however, it's worth noting it's still there. The lost houses were focal points, but they were part of a much larger landscape.

· Fires in Detroit Destroy an Artist's Canvas: Vacant Houses [NYT]