Juan Deer by Vick Quezada at Socrates Sculpture Park. Photo credit: Bob Krasner
16 August 2024 By Shane O’Brien
Socrates Sculpture Park has announced Socrates Annual 2024, a new exhibition that addresses invasive species and explores the legacy of species migration.
The new exhibition, which will run from September 14 to April 6, 2024, features nine site-specific projects that address settlement politics and the complex legacy of species migration.
The “living” installations explore the park’s past, present and future, utilizing dozens of native and introduced plant species that allow the artworks to evolve and change with each season.
The works of art address diaspora, displacement, containment and assimilation and link the adaptability of humans with that of other living beings.
The ceremonial opening of the new exhibition will take place on Saturday, September 14, between 3 and 6 p.m. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.
Katie Dixon, executive director of Socrates Sculpture Park, said the new exhibition challenges negative views of invasive species and instead explores the important role they can play in regenerating ecosystems.
“Rather than automatically assuming that certain plants and other naturally occurring species are invaders, we welcome the opportunity and potential for integration and emphasize the critical role these species play in the regeneration of our ecosystems,” Dixon said in a statement.
“This year’s yearbook is a living testament to the power of adaptability and resilience, making what is often disregarded a cornerstone of our community’s ecological health.”
The new exhibition is the culmination of the park’s fellowship program, which is awarded to nine emerging artists through an open call.
In June, the park unveiled projects by fellows Kimberly Chou Tsun An, Landon Newton, Mamoun Nukumanu and Vick Quezada, with each artist taking advantage of the spring and summer growing seasons to create vibrant installations.
Jill Cohen-Nuñez, Utsa Hazarika, Juan Manuel-Pinzon, Petra Szilagyi and Nala C. Turner – the other five fellows – worked in the park all summer, creating site-specific sculptures in the park’s outdoor studio.
TILT (what if these plants broke out) by Langdon Newton.
The five artists used a wide range of materials for their respective projects, including mud, seashells, metal, clay, stone and found wood.
The nine artists selected for the fellowship program were chosen from a list of more than 250 applicants after a lengthy selection process. Each fellow received a production grant of $8,000 and an honorarium of $2,000.
Each artist was also given access to the resources and manufacturing facilities in the park’s open-air studio, seven days a week, for three months to complete their projects.
Established in 2001, the program supports emerging artists by providing financial and technical support that enables them to complete ambitious public artworks and display them in a park-wide exhibition.
Admission to Socrates Sculpture Park is free and open to the public daily from 9 a.m. to sunset. Located at 32-01 Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, the park is managed and designed by Socrates Sculpture Park, a nonprofit organization licensed by NYC Parks.
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