SPARTAN FOLLIES
FLOW.16 | Randall's Island Park, New York
May - November 2016
Public Art Commission by NYC Parks and The Bronx Museum of the Arts
Inspired by the concept of a fitness “boot camp” and by Randall’s Island Park’s history and role as a site for sports, Spartan Follies aims to lure visitors into physical and recreational interaction. Her work offer and ironically un-“Spartan” invitation through flashy forms, playful materials, and saturated colors; more than the idealized promise of a gym or a workout, my “follies” evoke a children’s playground, calling viewers to explore, play and be creative with these non-precious, interactive works of art.
The works stand as objects for both contemplation and active use, shifting from object to tool, depending on public interaction, and thus invite visitors to explore the intersection between objectification and functionality. This shifting - and the playful reuse of leftover, inexpensive and readymade materials - also reflects the continued adaptation, transformation and reinvention of Randall’s Island, in its different historical roles within New York City.
RIPA’s annual FLOW summer art exhibitions are located each year along the Park’s southern shoreline. The works are aimed at fostering appreciation of the shoreline through artistic expression, while calling visitors to interact with and care for the Park’s island environment. Each year, FLOW features site specific projects by participants in the Bronx Museum’s Artists in the Marketplace (AIM) program for emerging artists.
