Produced by Why Not Art, Freedman’s The Distance From Here begins with four oil paintings tied to fatal traffic crashes near Littlefield in Gowanus; each title measures the distance from the venue to the crash site. A projected map extends the work across the city: the viewer points at a location, and four images of the closest crashes emerge. The project transforms raw data into narrative, exposing the emotionally brutal truth concealed within the dry traffic statistics of NYC streets.

This art exhibit is part of Michael James Freedman’s ongoing art and advocacy work as CrashCount.nyc (https://crashcount.nyc/). He is the lead technologist and artist behind an augmented reality app called Crashscape (https://crashcount.nyc/crashscape/), which will also be available for demonstration during the Arts Gowanus Open Studios weekend. The artist Michael James Freedman will be in the gallery to discuss the work and answer questions.

The Distance From Here will be open and on view Saturday 10/17 (12 -5pm) and Sunday 10/18 (12 – 4pm) in the Littlefield Gallery. The exhibition will remain on view until mid-December 2026.

Arts Gowanus Directory listing: https://gowanusarts.org/directory/michael-james-freedman/

Artist: @michaeljamesfreedman, @crashcountnyc

Curator: @whynotartnyc