As part of the second year of the Art in the Parks: UNIQLO Park Expressions Grant, 10 original artworks have been installed in parks citywide. The grant, which provided $200,000 to 20 artists, supported 10 artists last year and a second group of 10 artists this year, with each artist receiving $10,000 to execute his or her work. Continue reading to learn more about some of the public artwork gracing our city parks in the UNIQLO Park Expressions Art Exhibit for the next year.
BROOKLYN
Fort Greene Park: Tanda Francis—“Adorn Me”
July 14, 2018 to July 13, 2019
Tanda Francis will present “Adorn Me” at Fort Greene Park, a large sculpture inspired by African art, particularly the Ife sculpture of 13th century Benin. Incorporating Victorian and colonial ornamentation, the work examines the African presence in public space, addressing the underrepresentation of that continent in public artworks. A powerful force of beauty and cultural relevance, the work aims to provide a healing message, particularly during a time of heated debate over monuments erected as symbols of oppression and control.
Fort Greene Park is located at Washington Park St, Brooklyn, NY 11205. www.fortgreenepark.org.
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"Adorn Me" by Tanda Francis, 2018. Courtesy of NYC Parks.
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Herbert Von King: Roberto Visani—“(x) of many children”
July 2018 to July 2019
Abstracted with 3D modeling software, Roberto Visani’s sculpture “(x) of many children” at Herbert Von King Park features two figures leaning against one another as a symbol of togetherness and support. Inspired by the indigenous figurative sculptures of the Senufo people of West Africa, the sculpture also calls to mind the forced migration and relocation of African people and culture in the Americas.
Herbert Von King is located at 670 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11216. www.nycgovparks.org/herbert-von-king-park.
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"(X) of Many Children" by Roberto Visani, 2018. Courtesy of NYC Parks.
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MANHATTAN
Seward Park: Karla & James Murray—“Mom-and-Pops of the L.E.S.”
July 20, 2018 to June 19, 2019
Karla and James Murray, photographers as well as wife and husband, work together to photograph the spirit and energy of individual neighborhoods. In Seward Park, they have installed four wood-frame sculptures with near lifesize photographs of four mom-and-pop stores of the Lower East Side that are not only no longer in business but have disappeared from the streetscape as well. Highlighting a former bodega, coffee shop, vintage store and newsstand, the artists recognize the unique and irreplaceable contribution to the city from small, family-owned businesses.
Seward Park is located at Canal St and, Essex St, New York, NY 10002. www.nycgovparks.org/seward-park.
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"Mom-and-Pops of the L.E.S." by Karla & James Murray, 2018. Courtesy of NYC Parks.
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Thomas Jefferson Park: Harumi Ori—“I am Here@Thomas Jefferson Park, 113 Street and 1stAve, Manhattan, NY”
July 8, 2018 to July 7, 2019
Harumi Ori will present “I am Here@Thomas Jefferson Park, 113 Street and 1st Ave, Manhattan, NY,” a testament to the people who frequent the park itself. Ori created three-dimensional snapshots using photographs taken of parkgoers. Folded and sewn in industrial mesh in orange, which is a sacred color in Japan, the layered works convincingly render the shape and volume of people and their surroundings, documenting and celebrating the surrounding community’s diversity.
Thomas Jefferson Park is located at 2180 FirstAvenue, New York, NY 10029. www.nycgovparks.org/thomas-jefferson-park.
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"I am Here@Thomas Jefferson Park" by Harumi Ori, 2018. Courtesy of NYC Parks.
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QUEENS
Flushing Meadows Corona Park: Zaq Landsberg—“Islands of the Unisphere”
July 7, 2018 to July 6, 2019
Zaq Landsberg will present “Islands of the Unisphere” at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the artist’s re-creation of several of the islands from the Unisphere sculpture. The islands, all from various continents, will be placed together to form a global archipelago that can be used for seating, stages and meeting places. Reflecting the diversity of Queens, the continents, figuratively stitched together, will be void of labels and borders.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park is located in Queens, NY. www.nycgovparks.org/flushing-meadows-corona-park.
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"Islands of the Unisphere" by Zaq Landsberg, 2018. Courtesy of NYC Parks.
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Rufus King Park: Rose DeSiano—“Absent Monuments”
July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019
In Rufus King Park, Rose DeSiano will present “Absent Monuments,” a series of obelisks that honor the complex history the Native American people and the various periods of cultural displacement that occurred in Queens. The reflective mirrored obelisks celebrate the viewer, while reminding them of the complex history of Jamaica, Queens: colonization, war, abolitionism, immigration and rural urbanization. The stone plinths display the history of the park through blue and white Dutch Delft photographic tiles, while floral tiles surrounding them are inspired by Native American pattern work, both honoring and acknowledging dark histories through these motifs.
Rufus King Park is located at 150-29 Jamaica Ave, Jamaica, NY 11435. www.nycgovparks.org/rufus-king-park.
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“Absent Monuments” by Rose DeSiano, 2018. Courtesy of NYC Parks.
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STATEN ISLAND
Tappen Park: Adam Frezza & Terri Chiao—“Stick Stump & The Lawn Lumps”
July 2018 to July 2019
Collaborative artists Adam Frezza and Terri Chiao will present “Stick Stump & The Lawn Lumps” in Staten Island’s Tappen Park. The five unique sculptures are colorful and playful, creating a space for reading, recreation, performance and public interaction, allowing viewers to engage with art as they might engage with nature.
Tappen Park is located at Bay St, Staten Island, NY 10304. www.nycgovparks.org/tappen-park.
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“Stick Stump & The Lawn Lumps” by Adam Frezza & Terri Chiao, 2018. Courtesy of NYC Parks.
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