Blessing of the Boats: River To River
Part of River To River 2020: Four Voices
August 15–18, 2020
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) and the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) present Muna Malik’s Blessing of The Boats: River To River. The piece will be installed in Belvedere Plaza in Battery Park City beginning August 15 through August 18 and is presented as part of River To River 2020: Four Voices.
Blessing of The Boats: River To River is an installation that invites the public to thoughtfully consider the role of individuals within our greater community, as well as evoke conversation about the global refugee crisis. This New York City premiere features a large, 20-foot, mirrored acrylic origami-style boat, surrounded by smaller paper origami boats. Malik asks participants to fold a piece of paper into an origami boat and to write their answers to the following prompt: We have an opportunity to set sail towards a new future; what society would you build and how do we get there? She then invites visitors to bring their boat to Belvedere Plaza in Battery Park City from August 15-August 18 and add their origami boat to the installation.
Exhibition details
August 15, 2020
10am-8pm Eastern Time
Belvedere Plaza in Battery Park City, NYC
August 16-18, 2020
10am-7pm Eastern Time
Belvedere Plaza in Battery Park City, NYC
Free. Dates, times and locations subject to change.
Visit lmcc.net/R2R for up-to-date information.
Several additional safety and prevention procedures are also being introduced based on NY Forward regulations and guidance. The artist and docents will wear masks, hand sanitizer will be available for the public, there will be walking and viewing patterns in chalk on the stone pavers in measured intervals to guide safe social distancing throughout the Belvedere, and helpful staff circulating. For visitors who would like to fold a paper boat and write a vision for a better future to add to the installation will be offered individually sealed packets with supplies that they keep. For viewers who have traveled far or simply wish to enjoy the contemplative environment, park benches are available at safe distances and clearly marked intervals.
Supporters
Produced by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) and co-presented with the Battery Park City Authority as part of River To River 2020: Four Voices.
About Muna Malik
Muna Malik is an immersive artist based in Los Angeles, CA. Her passion lies in her pursuit to create cultural awareness and understanding through the medium of art. Her current work focuses on capturing poetic imagery and narratives of women of color and refugees.
Her work has been exhibited at Northern Spark Arts Festival, MCAD, Artworks Chicago and The University of Minnesota—Humphrey School of Public Affairs. She was the billboard artist for North Carolina for the For Freedoms 50 State Initiative. She recently completed exhibitions at the Band of Vices Gallery LA, Annenberg Space for Photography LA with Photoville and the International Center for Photography with For Freedoms. She currently has work at the Somaal House of Art in Minneapolis, MN for the Ilaaa Shalay/Since Yesterday exhibition. Her latest collage series was featured on Vogue.com and i-D Magazine.
About River to River
River To River, LMCC’s annual summer festival, was created in the aftermath of 9/11 with the intention to heal and celebrate New Yorkers’ resiliency through the power of art. Since 2002, River To River has remained free and open to all, showcasing artistic and creative diversity across disciplines through the presentation of art in public spaces in partnership with leading institutions in Lower Manhattan.
In response to the present moment, LMCC has reimagined River To River 2020: Four Voices with the original founding partners to offer New Yorkers public artworks that can be witnessed safely and appropriately in open spaces over time.
About LMCC
Founded as Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, LMCC serves, connects and makes space for artists and community. Since 1973, LMCC has been the champion for independent artists in New York City and the cultural life force of Lower Manhattan, supporting artists through grants, residencies and presentations, and engaging audiences through programming that is free and open to all. At LMCC, we envision New York City as a place in which artists and community in dialogue are creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.
About Battery Park City Authority
Established in 1968, The Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority is a New York State Public Benefit Corporation charged with developing and maintaining a well-balanced community on the Lower West Side of Manhattan. Battery Park City’s 92- acre site has achieved worldwide acclaim as a model for community renewal in planning, creating, and maintaining a balance of commercial, residential, retail and park space.
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