Chalk Talk is an artwork that uses conversation as a medium. Artists use chalk to write out questions on pavements, questions they, their friends and community members passing by answer. These public conversations focus on youth cultural issues.
The Chalk Talk process stimulates casual dialogue around what it’s like to be young in the contemporary world. The public nature of the practice offers young people the opportunity to be seen and heard in a world that often negates or stigmatises them.
By using pavements instead of walls and chalk instead of paint or permanent marker, participants deliberately distance themselves from graffiti and tagging practices. However, the reference to this (anti)social practice is deliberately implied. These sessions are documented with photography and video and shared with the community via the gallery, internet and social media.
Chalk Talk has inspired a digital art project called The Art of Conversation (Digital), which offers the wider community the opportunity to participate in digital, two-way conversations with and about young people.