Juan Deer by Vick Quezada at Socrates Sculpture Park. Credit: Bob Krasner
Aug. 16, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
Socrates Sculpture Park has announced the Socrates Annual 2024, a new exhibition embracing invasive species and exploring the legacy of species migration.
The new exhibition, which will be on display from Sept. 14 through April 6, 2024, features nine site-specific projects that consider the politics of settlement and the complex legacy of species migration.
The “living” installations engage the park’s past, present, and future, making use of dozens of native and introduced plant species that allow the art pieces to evolve and change with each season.
The art pieces explore diaspora, displacement, containment, and assimilation, linking human adaptability with that of other living species.
The new exhibit’s opening celebration will take place between 3 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14. The event is free and open to the public.
Katie Dixon, Executive Director of Socrates Sculpture Park, said the new exhibition challenges the negativity attached to invasive species and instead studies the vital role they can play in regenerating ecosystems.
“Instead of automatically assuming certain plants and other naturally occurring species are invaders, we embrace the possibility and potential of integration, highlighting the vital role these species play in regenerating our ecosystems,” Dixon said in a statement.
“This year’s Annual is a living testament to the power of adaptability and resilience, turning what is often disregarded into a cornerstone of our community’s ecological health.”
The new exhibition is the culmination of the park’s fellowship program, awarded to nine up-and-coming artists through an open call.
The park unveiled projects by fellowship recipients Kimberly Chou Tsun An, Landon Newton, Mamoun Nukumanu, and Vick Quezada in June, with each artist making use of the spring and summer growing seasons to create living installations.
Jill Cohen-Nuñez, Utsa Hazarika, Juan Manuel-Pinzon, Petra Szilagyi, and Nala C. Turner – the other five fellowship recipients – have been working at the park throughout the summer, fabricating site-specific sculptures in the park’s open-air studio.
TILT (what if these plants get out) by Landon Newton
The five artists have used a wide range of materials for their respective projects, including mud, clamshells, metal, clay, stone, and found wood.
The nine artists selected for the fellowship program were chosen from a list of more than 250 applicants following a lengthy review process. Each artist fellow received a $8,000 production grant and a $2,000 honorarium.
Each artist was also granted three months of seven-days-a-week access to the resources and fabrication facilities at the park’s outdoor artist studio to help complete their projects.
The program, which has operated since 2001, supports early-career artists by offering financial and technical support that allows them to complete ambitious public artworks for inclusion in a park-wide exhibition.
Socrates Sculpture Park is free and open to the public every day of the year, from 9 a.m. to sunset. Located at 32-01 Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, the park is managed and programmed by Socrates Sculpture Park, a not-for-profit organization licensed by NYC Parks.
One Comment
This sounds like a fun exhibit, I’m looking forward to it!