Fort

Is it just me, or does it seem like there are less kids playing outdoor games like “capture the flag” and “fort”? I wanted to be a kid again – temporarily – and indulge in the cheerful possibility of a Sunday afternoon with no one around. I built this structure from construction material that was lying around near a school park. I used wooden pallets, plywood, metal beam supports and roofing, connected securely with wire. I even ripped some branches off a tree and stuck them in the metal beam supports to give my fort a more homey feel. By the end of its construction, I wanted to play, but I was worried about getting caught. When I spotted someone walking their dog close-by, I fled the scene.
Maybe this work calls attention to the lack of play in this particular park and elsewhere, similar to Germaine Koh’s spider webs that bring light to the unused areas of Toronto and other cities. In this way, the fort might be seen as a symbol of something absent, namely, the good old fashioned play that has been replaced by video games.
I hope that kids will find my fort to play in, but I’m sure that by now it’s been taken down because things like that just don’t fly anymore. There’s just too much potential for parents to sue the school for having a “non-secure” structure that hasn’t been inspected and approved by a certified engineer. The experience leads me to question whether the world is more dangerous, people are more frightened, or both. Regardless, I’m glad I still feel free enough to play.