Sunday, August 4, 3-5:45pm: Summer Celebration | Works in Public, Riverside Park

DART Diary continues its look into summer art events in unusual places—this week with an enticing feast for all the senses at Riverside Park North. Join artists Marco Palli and Sophie Kahn for a summer celebration of their sculptures for Art Students League’s [ASL] Works in Public [WiP] 2024 program—together with dance performances, music and readings. Above left: Our Gates by Marco Palli; Right: Portrait of t by Sophie Kahn

From 3 to 3:45, and again from 4:15 to 5pm, dance performances by General Mischief Dance Theatre, Alison Cook Beatty Dance, the Yvanhova Figueroa and Frahydel Falczuk Duo, and the Leonel Linares and Michelle Lauren Siegel Duo will interact with the spaces created by Marco Palli’s Our Gates, together with readings and music.

From 3:30–5:00pm, musician and multimedia artist tiger west, the subject of Sophie Kahn’s sculpture, will perform Surveyor's Tape. [RSVP required only for Surveyor's Tape].

Works in Public (formerly Model to Monument) is a professional development program founded in 2010 in partnership with NYC Parks to guide ASL artists through the process of creating large-scale sculpture for outdoor public spaces. Under the direction of Tom Tacik, Associate Director of Special Programs with co-directors of WiP Haksul Lee and Natsuki Takauji, participating artists create their artwork with the program's support, beginning with lectures on best practices for proposing work to the Department of Parks and Recreation. Upon approval, the program continues to assist with the engineering, fabrication, transportation, and installation of the artist's monument in the park, culminating in a one-year public exhibition at Riverside Park North or Riverside Park South. Left: The Our Gates model presentation at ASL

This program is made possible by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, led by Commissioner Laurie Cumbo, Elisabeth Masalla, Senior Public Art Coordinator at NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, Whitney Deazrden, Director of Public Programming for Riverside Park and Michael Hall, Artistic & Executive Director of the Art Students League.

The Our Gates performances were made possible with the generous support of Randi Berry, Director of IndieSpace; Emily Vartarian, Managing and Artistic Director of General Mischief Dance Theater; Alison Cook Beatty, Founder and Director of Alison Cook Beatty Dance; Reynolds Charitable Gift; Yvanhova Figueroa, Production Coordinator; Dance Ten Project; Leonel Linares, Executive & Artistic Director of Sol Dance Center  

Sculptor Marco Palli, a Venezuela-born artist living in New York City said of his work and process: “In my studio, I work serially, experimenting with materials that lead my process accordingly. Generally, I recognize with all the objects I make very specific things about my identity, finding relationships that become obvious pertaining to some qualities that I notice in my work…. Our Gates epitomizes my process together with my individual and collective identity. I am interested in the technical implications of making public art.

Hands on experiences have always worked better for me in terms of strengthening my understanding of how to do things. In terms of erecting public works of art, what limits and defines the artwork is the result of the sum of the regulations and permits in term of public safety, funding and budget concerns, just as well as the ultimate purpose of the artwork itself. Going through the eye of the needle has made me question my motivation for wanting to do it, and revising this question has been a great gift to elevate my practice.“ Above: Dancers Maiko Harada, Saki Masuda and Juniper Viernes, of General Mischief Dance Theatre, rehearsing at Our Gates. Right: Yvanhova Figueroa and Frahydel Falczuc Duo rehearsing "Littera Urban 9" at Our Gates

Choreographer Emily S. Vartanian, Head Troublemaker of General Mischief Dance Theatre says, “It's a rare and wonderful opportunity to work with such a unique and meaningful set piece! For the performance on August 4th we have crafted a whole new work and re-staged another, with each dance exploring the sculpture in different ways. The first piece engages with [Marco's] concept of welcoming immigrants to the city, and the second is more of a spatial exploration—using the surfaces and space under the arches of Our Gates as a place for the dancers to explore.... It's shaping up to be a delightful afternoon!”

Alison Cook-Beatty, Artistic Director of Alison Cook Beatty Dance was inspired by Marco Palli’s sculpture and the freedom it brings to people. “The gates bring opportunity, welcome, and inclusion to all”, says Alison. As an immigrant artist, Marco created this piece from his own voice and story of coming here to America [from Venezuela].”

The music that Alison chose from composer Peter Boyer’s album, The Dream of America centers around people arriving on Ellis Island and telling their stories. In creating her piece for this performance, Alison recalls her own family story of arriving here from England. “We are honored to be collaborating with Marco on Our Gates, she says. “The dancers performing in Our Gates are: Maddie Burnett, Tomislav Nevistic,  Hannah Dillenbeck, Gion Treichler and Ava Trochiano, and  myself.”

Sculptor Sophie Kahn, born in London, grew up in Australia and now lives in Brooklyn, said, “My work addresses the complexity and the poetics of capturing the human body in the digital age. I misuse precisely engineered 3D scanning devices. When these scanners meet a moving body they break down, generating glitch. Portrait of t. is drawn from a larger series of 3D scanned portraits of people who have undergone life-altering physical transformations. My work depicts individuals who often seem caught in private moments of reflection or reverie.  

Even though they are fragmented by technology, their gestures still read as emotional and very human. The gaps and holes allow the viewer to see the city framed through the figure’s body….Locating [this figure] in the public space with minimal narrative offers viewers the opportunity to encounter them in an intimate way. Many other monuments in the park pay tribute to war heroes; this work depicts an anonymous person who is equally worthy of remembrance.” Project credits: 3D scanning, 3D design and digital sculpting: Sophie Kahn. Vendors: Voxeljet USA (3D printing), Workshop Art Fabrication (bronze casting). Structural engineer: Jessica Mandrick, GMS LLP. Digital design and fabrication consultant and project manager: Robert Wrazen Left: Sophie Kahn (right) with tiger west at WiP opening event; photo courtesy of Natsuki Takauji

Musician tiger west [above left], the subject of Sophie Kahn’s sculpture, who will perform Surveyor's Tape on Sunday says, “As a composer, I am interested in the felt perceptions of sound. Sound is intimate. Sound is formless (is it? Is a sound wave a form?), yet it can be felt. We are unable to touch sound, yet it us. It penetrates. Unlike the visual to which we can avert our gaze or close our eyes, nothing keeps sound from entering. Our ears remain open. Sound is without borders. It stirs us beyond the limits of language. Its language is universal (even as its particularities are contingent and site specific). Sound has the incredible capacity to move us beyond what we might intend to allow. Sound gets to us!”

Photos courtesy of the artists except as noted 

Riverside Park North, 145th Street, New York, NY Info The elevator at 145th Street is out of service. Riverside Park North is ADA accessible via a pedestrian bridge and ramp at Riverside Drive and 151st Street Info

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