A Monument Honoring Abolitionists Gets Stalled in Brooklyn, and Other News – Surface Magazine

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When the artist Kameelah Janan Rasheed was enlisted to create a monument honoring Downtown Brooklyns abolitionists roots at the under-construction Willoughby Square Park, she bucked expectations and conceived a series of pavement engravings and bronze placards that pose questions about the antislavery movements legacy. Preservationists and activists spoke out against her design, insisting that women and people of color are fighting to see themselves figuratively represented in New Yorks monuments after a contentious summer that saw dozens of statues toppled around the country. A recent meeting of the Public Design Commission, which reviews permanent monuments and artworks on city property, voted to table Rasheeds proposal until a later review. Having multiple pathways for engagement is the most important thing to focus on here, Rasheed, whose text-based banners recently adorned the Brooklyn Museums facade, said at the meeting. This is just one project in a larger ecosystem of projects, which are trying to address questions around abolition.

Following allegations that the French artist Claude Lvque seually abused and raped minors, Paris authorities have voted to turn off his luminous public sculptures. Residents of Montreuil, a commune east of Paris, chose to turn off Modern Dance (2015), a sculpture that consists of three large blue fiberoptic hoops encircling a water tower in the towns square. Montreuils assistant cultural mayor, Alexie Lorca, told Le Monde that the blue light has become unbearable for residents following his accusations. The commune of Montrouge, meanwhile, has reversed its controversial decision to leave up one of Lvques neon works that he made last year for a festival; it will be taken down by March 10. The decisions follow Lvques departure from Kammel Menour Gallery and an announcement that the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Geneva will not show any of his work in the future.

The Flaming Lips recently performed to an audience of people that were encased in individual plastic bubbles, but public health experts arent sure that measure is entirely effective at preventing the spread of Covid-19. Ultimately, virus transmission control depends on good air circulation and filtration, which wasnt immediately apparent in the bubble setups. Theres no evidence about the efficacyor lack thereofof these bubbles from an infectious disease transmission point of view, Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, told the New York Times. So, in theory, if air filtration is good, protective barriers can helpfully augment and reduce risk of transmission, but I would be hesitant to attend a concert in a bubble at the moment unless this has been assessed further.

After winning a design competition for the new El Paso Childrens Museum, Snhetta designed a light-filled playscape programmed to bring value to the citys youth and also to complement the nearby childrens museum in Jurez, Mexico. The architecture resembles a formation of clouds with an assemblage of seemingly floating floors that connect the galleries throughout. Most importantly, the new El Paso Childrens Museum needs a name! Head to epcmuseum.org to submit ideas.

Also known as the Silicon Valley of New York, the Brooklyn Navy Yard is home to some of the most innovative technology companies of late: Newlab, a multidisciplinary technology hub; Systech, an IT services firm that specializes in cyber security, cloud solutions, automation, and strategic IT consulting; and Honeybee Robotics, exactly what it sounds like. Two major design firms are making the move to the 115-year-old post-industrial building in the complex that once housed and shipped SweetN Low: Smart Design, known for its groundbreaking designs with OXO, and Daedalus Design & Production, the set-designing practice for Hamilton and Frozen. The century-old boat-building facility is honoring its manufacturing roots with an extensive $42 million renovation by S9 Architecture, which will transform it into a modern design hub.

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A Monument Honoring Abolitionists Gets Stalled in Brooklyn, and Other News - Surface Magazine