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Everchange I. (Working Tile)
Stainless steel, glass, LED lights.
70 Mulberry Street, New York City, NY.
Commissioned by the Percent For Art program at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
Projected Unveiling 2029
Everchange I. part of a major Percent for Art commission from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. This program mandates that 1% of the budget for publicly funded buildings in the city is allocated to the creation of public art.
Following a devastating fire in January 2020 that partially destroyed the 70 Mulberry Street historic community building, the city commissioned its reconstruction and expansion. From its beginning as Public School No. 23 to a 40-plus-year trajectory of hosting essential community service organizations in Manhattan's Chinatown, 70 Mulberry embodies the legacy of the community that it has served for more than a century. The new building, currently in design phase by Grimshaw Architects, will feature my two new permanent public artworks, with a budget of $882,892.
This artwork serves as the building’s artistic guardian, embodying transformation and continuity. Salvaged architectural elements from the original site, memories of its occupants preserved in glass time capsules, and aspirations for the future converge to form the body and wings of a creature in perpetual metamorphosis.
Inspired by the ancient teachings of the I Ching, the work embraces change as a fundamental force of life. It invites the community to honor the building’s history while envisioning a future defined by openness and fluidity. Through this ever-evolving form, the past and present intertwine to guide us toward collective growth and renewal.
Oral
History
After years of working in community—sharing real stories about our humanity, our sense of self, and our connection to place—I have developed a practice of collecting oral histories, archiving them, and bringing them to life through interactive installation projects such as An Inward Sea: Oral History and BElonging.
This time, I turn to a cardinal place in my own story of being: Manhattan's Chinatown—specifically the stretch between Canal and Bayard Streets, at its heart, 70 Mulberry Street. This capital project is an opportunity to collaborate with residents and the tenant community organizations of this historic building to weave together a living history of its resilient people—their dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
