H o w . w e . m e t
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Since the attacks I had been working on a sketches for the Mirrored Atrium here in Amsterdam. Meanwhile Ray Keim had designed his plans for new towers for the WTC. I came across his jpegs at memorial website pages. I'm still convinced that his design is the most beautiful and "Gotham" looking solution for recovering the glory of the Manhattan skyline. It was featured many times in sites around the world. (He came up with this design only a few days after the attacks).

When I found his jpegs I placed them at my blog page and made the following entry:

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July 29, 2002

I just found what I think is the best proposal for ground zero. It's a design by a fellow named Ray Keim. Ray, I've been trying to get in touch with you but I can't find you on the web. I would love to collaborate or even incorporate my design for a memorial into your plan shown below. If you come across this blog please get in touch with me at yo@rickyseabra.com. Your proposal is the most beautiful yet. It grounds lower Manhattan with a collosal structure worthy of the Twin Towers yet it restores a romantacism by evoking the poetic skyline of downtown Manhattan earlier this century. Check out larger jpegs of Ray's proposal at www.buildthetowers.org. Fabulous!

........

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Then around 8 months later in March of 2003 l got an email from Ray!
His wife had been doing a search on his name and came across my blog. When he wrote to me I was on tour with my 9/11 performance called Airplanes & Skyscrapers so I didn't respond for a few weeks. And just 10 days after I contacted him the competition was opened! So we teamed up.

He had time and I was in a performance lull.

Soon I realized how lucky I was to find him. He's an enormously talented renderer and he gave my concept for my WTC Memorial new life. I sent scans of sketches done in ball-point pen to him via email while he breathed three-dimensionality into my ideas placing them in the Liebeskind site. But it wasn't just about knowing how to use 3-D rendering software. His contribution was clearly a labour of love. The WTC for him was a place that he often visited with his family. He had actually taken his children to the top of WTC 2 for the first time just weeks before the attacks.

During our work period before the competition deadline we often spoke until sunrise (for me here in Amsterdam... he's in Pennsylvania). We shared stories about the towers, memories and our political views while we exchanged sketches and renderings on line. We became friends.

But during our work period I still had to come up with more detailed plans of the memorial exterior and a floor plan for its 3 levels. But more than renderer he was my only consultant on the project. I often found myself asking him, " Does this look cheesey?". "No", he'd say, "go for it!"

It was hard work and he always delivered stunning computer models which at times made my eyes water.

Then came the WEEKEND OF WORRY.

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BLOG: July 1, 2003

THE WEEKEND OF WORRY

So... I got my proposal for the WTC memorial off to the competition. But it was a very stressful ordeal. I actually can't remember ever stressing over something so greatly. After a dramatic 4 days of having my WTC Memorial submission (which was supposed to arrive in NY in 24 hours on Friday the 27th) stuck in Fed Ex Holland for 12 hours, then Paris Charles de Gaulle for 18 hours, and after the Fed Ex Tracking website was crashed for 48 hours during the weekend (which made me think it sat in Paris for 60 hours) I finally have confirmation from the Lower Manhattan Development Commission that my Memorial concept was received at 10:16 in the morning seven hours before the deadline. Fed Ex apologized for the delay and gave me a free overnight shipping in the future... big woopy-doo.

I never imagined that my memorial could never be considered because of a Fed Ex fuck up... I was in so much pain over the weekend that for the first time I considered stop being an artist... that it wasn't worth the pain anymore. All of a sudden 1 and a half years of work was going down the drain. The end scene of my performance Airplanes and Skyscrapers would have become trivialized... (I end it with the Mirrored Atrium). Just imagine if it hadn't been considered! I would then have to end the performance on a lame note: "oh, and by the way, this memorial won't be considered because Federal Express didn't deliver it in time... THE END"... too unprofessional... it's like a child not having his homework because of a stupid excuse like the dog ate it or something. Then there was the pain of living with the "what if" factor... I'd kick myself for the rest of my life... And WHAT IF it was considered??? what were my chances??? BUT IT'S THERE NOW. relax...

Up to last night there were 13,600 registrants. But it's nice to know that (whether or not I get to the finals) that my project will be part of the WTC reconstruction discourse and the official September 11th memory. This, for me, is already enough... really.

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So... just found out the finalists have been contacted and proposals will be shown November 17th. In other words we're not one of the finalists. I feel a large part of me can now relax. This was quite an experience. To design, collaborate, submit and be part of the memory of an event that had such a profound impact on myself, Ray and millions of others. I certainly look forward to including Ray in all of my future projects for meeting someone like Ray Keim is rare. And we certainly look forward to collaborations with anyone who was moved by what we achieved. So do get in touch or at least sign our guestbook.

Interestingly enough Ray and I still haven't met in person. We are planning to meet on the corner of West and Liberty around December 13th when I go to NY for a few days before I go to Brazil for a much needed holiday.