Art in the Parks

Through collaborations with a diverse group of arts organizations and artists, Parks brings to the public both experimental and traditional art in many park locations. Please browse our list of current exhibits and our archives of past exhibits below. You can also see past grant opportunities or read more about the Art in the Parks Program.

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Cecile Chong, EL DORADO - The New Forty-Niners

June 24, 2017 to December 31, 2017
Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Please note: This is a past exhibit that is no longer installed in the park.

Description:

Cecile Chong’s installation is based on the myth of the lost treasure of El Dorado. Over the centuries the story has been told in many ways, often as a metaphor for an ultimate prize that one might spend a lifetime seeking. In this updated version of the story, El Dorado is discovered in Sunset Park as a contemporary archeological site. This installation promotes ideas of transformation, immigration and community. It honors the opportunities that this city offers to newcomers, but most of all, it acknowledges the labor and efforts that immigrants contribute in return.

This installation consists of 100 metallic-colored sculptures scattered within a fenced-in triangle near the northwest corner of the park, close to the entrance on 5th Avenue at 41st Street. The sculptures are modeled after tightly swaddled babies, or “guaguas,” that the artist saw while living in Ecuador. Forty-nine sculptures will be gold, referring to the 49% of New Yorkers who speak a language other than English at home.