Site Specific

art installations in the public and private realms

[karinbravin]

Border Crossers

Chico Macmurtrie’s Installation

Border Crossers comprise a series of lightweight robotic sculptures that poetically explore the notion of borders and boundary conditions. The inflatable sculptures rise up to several stories high and extend across a given threshold. Their choreographed performance, originating on both sides of the border, would stage a symbolic connection. Border Crossers provoke investigation of borders as constructed entities. At one level its actions embody a simple curiosity to see what lies on the other side of a border (national, architectural, environmental, etc.). On another level the work expresses a utopian desire to live in a world without borders. The project treats the border as a physical condition that can be temporarily transcended by technological proxies. It offers a critique of militarized geopolitical borders, and a metaphorical suspension of those borders in the form of temporary arches or partial arches equipped with sensing and surveillance technology. The specific choreography of the inflatable machines would vary from one situation to the next. In one imagined scenario along the U.S.-Mexico border fence, six inflatable units would be installed on opposite sides of the border.

Border Crossers invites the public to rethink the notion of borders in a globalized world. Technology currently helps to overcome cultural and economic borders, but is also frequently used to maintain and reinforce physical borders.This project envisions technology as a positive tool to establish dialogues beyond borders, to question borders, and to create a symbolic suspension and transcendence of borders. Their actions allude to the equality of humanity against a backdrop of tensions and conflicts over national and cultural identity. This “gesture” could reinforce the hope for peace in location where reconciliation is thought to be impossible. - 

TEXT FROM THE WEBSITE OF CHICO MACMURTRIE

[karinbravin]

First Public Art Project

The Third Rail curated by Karin Bravin at John Post Lee Gallery May 1991 I took out an advertisement in Street News so that activist artist collective Gran Fury could use the space for their message. Street News is a street newspaper sold by homeless people in New York City. It was established in 1989 and aimed to provide a way of self-sufficiency to the many homeless and unemployed people in New York.

[karinbravin]

Portal- An art show at the Federal Hall National Memorial

4Heads, the same group that brings us the Governors Island Fair, will be offering a new platform for emerging artists. The first edition of Portal Art Fair opens this week and will be located at 26 Wall Street - Roughly a fourth of the work shown, will be installation art. In the photo below (photo credit: Ed Grant), you can see Becky Brown’s work through the columns. Her installation, Personal Effects, is made from everyday found objects. Discarded phones, printers, televisions etc. are fused together into new configurations.

 The phone booth in the rotunda is Randy Polumbo’s “Telephone”. It is filled with blown glass and LEDs. 

(detail above of a work by Becky Brown)

The show takes place in the historic Federal Hall where the Bill Of Rights was signed and where George Washington was inaugurated. 4Heads is a non-profit organization founded by artists for artists. Founders: Nicole Laemmle, Anthony Zito and Jack Robinson

There is an opening reception on Thursday March 5th from 6-9 that requires an RSVP

[karinbravin]

Molly Dilworth --Time Present

Brooklyn based artist Molly Dilworth installed a 50′ x 12′ metal relief sculpture at the 40th and Airport light rail station - Denver, CO. Her project, Time Present, is named after an article written by Buckminster Fuller for Harpers Magazine in 1973. Dilworth views creative practice as a form of research. According to her statement, “using data from a specific site as a structure, I give form to things that invisibly motivate our actions”. 

Time Present is a wonderful example of a successful site-specific project for a rail line; its vibrant color and subtle three-dimensionality will catch viewers eye no matter the speed of the rail. It is a work that will spin your head around.

Dilworth worked with Demiurge LLC to fabricate the project. Demiurge fabricates artist visions and brings them to life with cost effective solutions paired with site-specific fabrication and installation plans. See some of the process here. 

Dilworth is best known for her rooftop installations and her Times Square installation, Cool Water, Hot Island in which she painted the asphalt in Times Square to resemble a rippling body of water.

Some of the best views of Dilworth’s art can be seen from the air. Below is such an example. It is a representation of the New York/New Jersey Coastline after a 7 Meter rise in sea levels. It is located at 561 Grand Street in Brooklyn on the roof of a school. Presented by 350 Earth projects by artivists.

To see the other artists that Denver’s RTD FasTracks  Art-N-transit worked with click here

[karinbravin]

The Installations of Spring Break Art Show

In March, Spring Break Art Show, founded by Ambre Kelly and Andrew Gori presented their 5th iteration. For three years this show was presented in an abandoned school house on Spring Street, and for the last two, at Moynihan Station- the James A Farley Post office, second floor. I feel fortunate to have been a participating curator and pleased to have presented this suspended installation by Fabian Marcaccio. This work is made with 3-D printed plastic, and pigmented silicone 

Fabian Marcaccio is a pioneer in the transition between analog and digital painting.  Since the middle of the 1990s, he has worked with digital compositing, digital printing, and later on 3D printing to create a variety of pictorial works that he calls Paintants (painting+mutant).  Marcaccio emphasizes the digital process as part of a personal manipulation of the techniques instead of focusing on ready-mades or made-to-order culture.   His works range from digitally printed painting to photo-painting-sculptures to mural-like environmental paintings. For Spring Break Art Show, Marcaccio has created a full 3D printed environmental painting-sculpture that spans the 24’ room. The work will consist of a constellation of “plastemas” (new pictorial 3D printed painting activities) that work together in a swarming structure. Each of the pieces is made with colored plastic and pigmented silicone; they are engineered to be supported by rope and aluminum suspended in the space.  Here is an incredible 360 degree tour of the piece created by Isaac Martinez of 360 Degree Shows

The Post Office venue with its odd outdated office spaces and majestic lobby spaces was the perfect venue for site-specific works. The theme of Copy Paste was prevalent throughout and interpreted thoughtfully and interestingly by most curators.

Anne Spalter’s lobby mural, Precession, was a standout. This piece was presented by Elizabeth Keithline

One of my personal favorites was a room that I almost missed as it was set back a bit -- but the discovery was worth it. This was an installation by Cate Giordano. Her installation, Heavy Food, transformed a room into a coffee shop.

According to Giordano’s website statement, “I shoot films, make sculptures, and perform in various states of cross dress. My work conveys a grotesque Americana, one influenced by faded icons, soap-opera folklore, and the minutia of small town living”

Artist, Charlotte Bravin Lee joins Giordano’s diner for breakfast

Jessica Mensch created a spectacular installation in the main room at the fair n based on the history of the Gutenberg printing press, which was created in 1440 during the Roman Empire.

Other works that transformed their spaces:

David B. Smith’s room curated by Jessica Hodin above

The Lucent Parlor by Aaron Pexa love- Curated by Cade Tompkins Project

Performance view of room 4122A, L-DOPA curated by Eve Sussman & Simon Lee.

Drew Conrad’s Work curated by Jac Lahav

Eat Me Movie curated by Remy Bennett and Anna Del Gaizo

[karinbravin]

Current: LA Water

Los Angeles will host its first public art Biennial by the river. 14 sites along the LA River will be home to public art projects for Current: LA Water . Los Angeles was one of the 4 cities that was chosen to receive a Bloomberg Philanthropies grant for their public art challenge. The artists include: Refik Anadol and Peggy Weil (team); Edgar Arceneaux; Josh Callaghan and Daveed Kapoor (team); Mel Chin; Chris Kallmyer; Candice Lin; Lucky Dragons (Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara); Teresa Margolles; Kori Newkirk; Michael Parker; Gala Porras-Kim; Rirkrit Tiravanija; and Kerry Tribe. "Public art is a communal activity. It inspires people to talk, to think, to re-imagine, to enter a museum that has no walls," Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

Read more about it here in the LATimes and LA Weekly

[karinbravin]

The Hollows -- Permeate The House

The Hollows is a live/work/exhibition space for artists and curators. They recently inaugurated their new space with a show called Permeate The House in their multi-storied brownstone located at 151 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg Brooklyn. Winding my way through the house, looking for the work, some squeezed into tiny closet-like spaces and suspended to the feelings, I found several treasures. Map in hand and accompanied by curator, Piril Gündüz, I saw work by Dallas Athent, Isidro Blasco, Lee Boroson, Liene Bosquê, Ahmet Civelek, Jaynie Crimmins, Ryan Frank, Adam Frezza & Terri Chiao,Ana Laura Gindin, Brandt Graves, Beril Gulcan, Alex Hammond, Margarete & Jakob Hentze, Robert Hickerson, Katelyn Liepins, Seren Morey, Luciana Pinchiero, Lina Puerta, Dave Rittinger, Dakota SicaIvan, Stojakovic, Umman Turkoglu, Alona Weiss. 

Between the windows- two works by Ivan Stojakovic. Image above

Cascade by Lee Boroson - Rayon tassels, polyester organza. This spectacular piece is 9 feet tall. Image above

To the left of Boroson’s work was Lacelimb by Lina Puerte - gorgeous detail below

In the basement was a wonderful installation, Subway Entrance, by Isidro Blasco:

and on the very top floor were two different suspended works by Jakob Hentze. Pictured here is Little Universe:

Rounding out the exhibition was one of my favorite works. This is by Dave Rittinger. Everything Is Connected is made with steel and electrical cord parts:

Permeate the House is open through April 17th. It is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1-6

[karinbravin]

Katie Hollander Named New Executive Director of Creative Time

This has to be the best job in the world- bringing phenomenal public art installations to one of the greatest cities in the world -

http://observer.com/2016/02/creative-time-names-katie-hollander-director-marc-quinn-leaves-white-cube-and-more/

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/12/arts/design/an-adam-pendleton-exhibition-will-open-in-new-orleans.html?_r=0

[karinbravin]

Islands, Deltas and the Rising Seas

The Shivaji Competition seeks actual and impossible ideas to maintain human habitation on islands and deltas doomed by at least one meter sea level rise in the 21st century.  Select an island or delta and prepare your ideas as an animated GIFs for social media broadcast and museum exhibition.  All entries published online for through the end of 2017.  10 - 25 finalists chosen for publication. One finalist will be selected to participate in the Rising Waters Confab 2016 to be held on Captiva Island, Florida, USA in May, 2016.  Roundtrip transportation provided.  The competition ends on 3/10/16

[karinbravin]

The Fall by Fabian Marcaccio; an environmental paintant that was part of @riversideparknyc Studio In The Park #tbt 2006... Karin Bravin's first public art project (10 other artists were included). On March 1, Bravin presents a new environmental Marcaccio work at Spring/Break Art Show @springbreakartshow

[karinbravin]

Karl Stirner Arts Trail

 Easton, Pennsylvania

KSAT is roughly a two and a half mile biking and hiking trail thats runs alongside the Bushkill Creek. It showcases several sculptures. I had the privilege of getting a private tour with Lafayette College’s Jim Toia.  According to Mayor Salvatore J. Panto Jr.  “...this important part of Easton is becoming a showcase for what can happen when the public sector, private sector, and educational institutions work together to improve their community” (KSAT brochure)

The artwork is beautifully sited along the lush, verdant, winding trail. It’s an easy and enjoyable walk and afterwards visit historic downtown Easton. There are many restaurants and shops to enjoy. 

Karl Stirner’s sculpture at one end of the trail

The Young Masters Wall for artwork by local students:

Grace Gate by Willie Cole:

(photo by John Lee)

[karinbravin]

Site specific art works at art fairs. Can they be successful?

I visited at least 5 of the 8-or-so art fairs that were inNew York in early March. As always, I am in search of great site-specific art,as well as installation work.  It is tough when you walk up and down the aisles of similarly-sized square and rectangular booths to find truly innovative examples of site-specific work. My favorite three were Jessica Stockholder in (or should I say above) Kavi Gupta’s booth at the Armory; Rachel Mica Weiss’ piece in the lobby of Pulse;  and Diana Kingsley in a room of Spring Break Art Fair that was curated by Chris Bors. Successful installations that take up an entire booth (or room) are more prevalent, a little easier to do at an art fair and really pack a punch in the midst of all the other cubes selling various pieces. My favorites were Simon Schubert for Foley Gallery at Volta, Brandon Ballengee in Ronald Feldman’s booth at The Armory, Franklin Evans in Steven Zevitas’ booth at Volta, and Visual Pilots’ Luminessenz at Spring Break in the room curated by A. Moret.  Then there are the works that just do a fantastic job of occupying a space or wall. Adam Parker Smith at Spring Break in the room curated by Erin Goldberger and RJ Supa; Brent Birnbaum at Elizabeth Denny also at Spring Break and Mike Cloud in Thomas Erben’s booth at The Independent are a few great examples.

Site-Specific pieces:

Jessica Stockholder at The Armory

Rachel Mica Weiss at Pulse

Diana Kinglsey at Spring Break - 

Eat In, A silent video projection, projected on the floor. Subtle and slightly hidden. 

Room Installations

Simon Schubert at Volta

An alcove of three walls, wallpapered with the artists works on paper, white wall to wall carpeting and dealers who dressed the part. 

Brandon Ballengee at The Armory

Ron Feldman’s booth was dedicated to Ballengee’s series Frameworks of Absence (and a selection of his other works). The booth took the form of small museum depicting the disappearance of animals in the Americas over the past four centuries. As response to the current mass extinction event, referred to as the Holocene or Sixth Great Extinction, Ballengee physically cut images of missing animals from actual historic prints and publications printed at the time in history when the depicted species became extinct. The resulting image minus the subject is what he refers to as a Framework of Absence.

Franklin Evans at Volta

Visual Pilots at Spring Break

Working with Visualpilots, a collective based in London and Switzerland founded by Christoph Thüer and Simon Haenggi, A. Moret presented Luminessenz: Space is Only Noise inspired by a song of the same title by artist Nicolas Jaar.  Transforming a ubiquitous room using a projector, a single PA system and systematically arranged strips of suspended heavy duty cloth, Visualpilots created an environment where time and space are suspended and the visual and auditory experience were distilled and shared.

Show-Stopping Space Occupiers

Adam Parker Smith, Spring Break

Brent Birnbaum at Spring Break

Mike Cloud, The Independent

One Big Installation:

The whole vibe at Spring Break was one of an installation and performance. The fair itself was one site specific project located at Moynihan Station above the Post Office at 34th. It was formerly located in an Old school House near Spring Street. I don’t think I have missed one of their iterations. 

[karinbravin]

Fringe Projects

Fringe Projects are site-determined temporary public artworks commissioned by the Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Miami Dade County Art in Public Places for DWNTWN Art Days.

FRINGE PROJECTS' curator, Amanda Sanfilippo, IS CURRENTLY CONSIDERING PROPOSALS

some past projects:

Jenny Brillhart's Flat Prospect, printed vinyl, 136 Flagler Street  Brillhart created an architectural intervention by making use of features available in the urban landscape that reflected their own nature and purpose. Taking mundane and overlooked, yet architecturally functional forms already present and repurposing them, the flattened images of three dimensional spaces called attention to their source and explored how perspective is key in understanding our environment.

Gean Moreno's, the new MONUMENTS, 2013. Printed newsprint posters. Scattered sites in downtown Miami.  This series of text-based takeaway posters, exploring the possibilities that exist for the monument after the material dissolution of sculpture, were placed in various locations around Miami.

Misael Soto, Beach Towel, 2012, Site-determined intervention, Bayfront Park

click here to read more about Misael Soto's public projects

[karinbravin]

Pittsburgh: Kim Beck, Conflict Kitchen's Jon Rubin & Dawn Weleski

Falling in love with Pittsburgh's art scene before I visit in mid-May.

There are many reason's to visit Pittsburgh if you love art. There is the Carnegie Museum of Art, The Mattress Factory, The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, the Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon...and the many artists who live and work there.

Artist Kim Beck, who teaches at Carnegie Mellon, is one of Pittsburgh's most interesting artists. I am a little biased since I worked with her on Space Invaders,  a show at Lehman College in the Bronx.

This is Kim's project for The Last Billboard. Each month a different artist is invited to use the billboard. It is located on the corner of Highland and Baum in Pittsburgh. The project is curated by interdisciplinary artist, Jon Rubin.

I am eager to visit another one of Jon Rubin's projects and that is Conflict Kitchen, A Pittsburgh restaurant that only serves food from "countries with which The United States is in conflict. The Co-founders and directors of this project are Jon Rubin and Dawn Weleski.

The restaurant changes its identity every few months to reflect current geopolitical events.  Their current focus is on Palestinian food, culture and politics. It is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm.

Photo from the website of Conflict Kitchen. Please check out their blog.

Below is a photo of Kim Beck's project from Lehman College. The piece is made of vinyl and produced in conjunction with a commercial signshop.  These  cheerful yet disquieting oversized weeds range from the invasive kudzu to the everyday dandelion.

 Next Exit, is another billboard work that Kim created. This was part of a project called I-70 Sign Show, a public-art project on mid-Missouri billboards. According to their website, "To produce her billboard, Beck used photos of the phrase NEXT EXIT, a dual reference to the poetic implications of language out of context and the many Christian messages along I-70 that mention heaven"

[karinbravin]

Ivelisse Jimenez

This image of Ivelisse Jimenez work (above) is from an exhibition I curated last summer at Deborah Brown's Storefront ten Eyck. Developing from abstract concepts, Ivelisse Jiménez creates works where simultaneity, contraction and uncertainty are inherent characteristics. Her constructions are made from diverse as well as ephemeral materials that are adapted and utilize the installation space. Her swatches of materials can be transparent or opaque. She often utilizes floor, wall and ceiling simultaneously. She lives and works in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

[karinbravin]

Dustin Yellin creates project for  New York City Ballet

New York City Ballet commissions contemporary artists to create original works of art inspired by their ballet. Artist and Pioneer Works Founder, Dustin Yellin's work will take over the stage at Lincoln Center this month.

Photo Courtesy The Creators Project blog. 

His fifteen large scale sculptures are made of thousands of cutouts arranged  in the form of dancers and encased in glass.  According to Noelle Bodick, in an article for BlouinArtInfo, "The ballerinas’ bodies are composed of images of Egyptian pharos, lunar eclipses, ice cream scoops, little girls in leotards, and countless other pictures that Yellin clipped from art history and dance books, dictionaries, and magazines. After arranging the tiny pictures across the glass expanses, Yellin sandwiched the panes together to build up the floating, embodied forms."  Yellin's works will be on display at Lincoln Center for all performances through March 1. His work is on view to those attending the ballet through March 30. There will be open hours for the public February 12-22 (weekdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-12 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-1 p.m).

A born and raised upper west sider, I am particularly pleased to see these works in my backyard. I wish they were up for a longer period of time. I recently went to Red Hook to visit Yellin's Pioneer Works. Yellin gives back. According to their website, "Pioneer Works Center for Arts and Innovation is dedicated to the creation, synthesis and discussion of art, science and education. Located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the Center gathers artists, scientists and creative thinkers to collaborate outside the boundaries of traditional institutions where specialization often limits the application of ideas across disciplines."  If you go there in the near future, check out the studio of Henrique Oliviera...I am a huge fan and profiled him earlier in this blog.

Here is a photo of Pioneer works from my visit the other night:

[karinbravin]

Xu Bing at The Cathedral of St. John The Divine

I recently went to see the spectacular Phoenix, by Xu Bing at the Cathedral of St. John The Divine at 1047 Amsterdam. It is on view through February, so hurry and go see it. The installation features two birds made from the detritus found on construction sites in Beijing. The birds, Feng and Huang hang in the nave. They are so large and monumental and I found it hard to capture with my camera.

The cathedral's stained glass windows make a phenomenal backdrop for the installation. prior to being sited in the cathedral, the work was exhibited in Beijing and then at Mass MoCA.

According to the Mass Moca website: Drawing inspiration from the contemporary realities of his fast-changing country, Chinese artist Xu Bing spent two years creating his newest work, Phoenix. The installation features two monumental birds fabricated entirely from materials harvested from construction sites in urban China, including demolition debris, steel beams, tools, and remnants of the daily lives of migrant laborers. At once fierce and strangely beautiful, the mythic Phoenixes bear witness to the complex interconnection between labor, history, commercial development, and the rapid accumulation of wealth in today's China.

Read more about it in The New York Times article by Carol Vogel