Fridge Street: Bridging Sites of Mutual Aid

Refrigerators are private beings. They are used to working in the domestic space, preferably in the kitchen, away from strangers. Storing everything internally, they never reveal themselves, much like a tucked away diary, unless forcibly opened with a pop. They are known to be cool, but they like keeping it quiet—as advertised by all manufacturers. A perfect machine is what best defines them: reserved, calm, and never taking breaks.

“Fridge Street” examines refrigerators that are not so much like the above. They are public, always calling for attention and welcoming strangers regardless of who they are. Many of them have a glass door that invites people to look inside. Simultaneously, this publicity also means they face the threat of vandalism. These are known as community fridges, sometimes also referred to as la nevera or 冰箱, and many have a unique nickname stemming from their immediate neighborhood.

Community fridges first emerged in New York City amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic. During a time of uncertainty when basic human needs were jeopardized, they began popping up in the urban space as a form of solidarity, a direct callout to the top-down charity mode that failed to address those same needs. Since then, community fridges have evolved from a food hub into a space for diverse community members to come together, fostering social connections while promoting sustainable practices.

With primary and secondary data gathered from volunteering, field trips, questionnaires, interviews, and literature over the past six months, “Fridge Street” archives the network of community fridges across New York City. Through visual representations, individual narratives, and interactive displays, the exhibit showcases the resilience and resourcefulness of communities, providing visitors with an understanding of mutual aid within this grassroots movement. Ultimately, “Fridge Street” hopes to call attention to food insecurity as a systemic problem and inspire action that helps building more just and inclusive food systems.