In 1983, David Hammons arranged snowballs by size on a rug among the street vendors of Cooper Square. A material available to everyone became merchandise, then disappeared as it melted. The gesture shifted the question of value toward the encounter between seller and passerby: who decides what deserves to be bought, preserved or recognised as art? Gabriel Allred’s video essay revisits this ephemeral action, for which Dawoud Bey’s photographs remain an essential record.
Location: Cooper Square, New York, United States, February 1983. Gabriel Allred’s video essay was posted on Instagram on 2 October 2026.
Artist: Born in Springfield, Illinois, in 1943, David Hammons works with sculpture, found objects, images and performance. His practice examines everyday signs, Black American experience and the mechanisms through which art gains recognition.
Video author: Gabriel Allred is a multidisciplinary artist and former cognitive psychology researcher. He also makes video essays on art history and contemporary art.
Sources: Gabriel Allred, Instagram ; Whitney Museum of American Art ; Dawoud Bey / Sean Kelly Gallery ; MoMA ; Gabriel Allred.