Press release
Harumi Ori enlivens the corner of Victory Boulevard and Bay Street with mesh sculpture
Community Commissions collaboration between NYC DOT’s Art Program and Staten Island MakerSpace
Staten Island, NY (October 26, 2017)— Installed on chain link fence at the corner of Bay Street and VictoryBoulevard, I am Here at Bay Street and Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, is a figurative, sculptural collageinstalled by artist Harumi Ori as a continuation of her ongoing series, “I am Here.” Her series has beenexhibited in New York City and in Tokyo and Karuizawa, Japan. The sculptural intervention will officially be unveiled on Friday, October 27th at 11 am at the corner of Bay Street and Victory Boulevard by NYC DOTArt, Staten Island MakerSpace, the artist and the Tompkinsville community at large. The artwork will remaininstalled for 11 months as part of the NYC DOT Art’s Community Commissions program.
Fabricated using plastic, industrial orangeconstruction mesh, the site-responsiveartwork is Ori’s largest sculpture to-date. Themesh is manipulated to create a snapshot of amoment in time, based off of photographstaken by Ori at the street crossing, whichfeature images of people, vehicles and objectsalong the streetscape. The layered folds of themesh convincingly render the shape andvolume of people and their surroundings, andas the pieces come together, the connectionsbetween individuals and groups, and thestreets, buildings, and landscapes they passthrough become evident. Orange mesh was selected because of its representation as a holy color in Ori’s native country, Japan.
I am Here at Bay Street and Victory Boulevard, Staten Island was commissioned through NYCDOT Art’ssignature program track Community Commissions. As part of the Community Commissions program track,DOT Art, with the assistance of community stakeholders and the DOT Borough Commissioner’s Offices,identifies priority sites and community-based partners to work with NYCDOT closely to commission anartist to create site-responsive temporary artwork throughout the five boroughs. Once a priority site andpartner have been identified for each borough, DOT Art and the pre-selected partner circulate an open call,review applications and then, work closely with the selected artist to commission a temporary artinstallation.
About Staten Island MakerSpace
Staten Island MakerSpace is a non-profit workshop that helps artists, craftspeople, engineers, inventors,and entrepreneurs make their ideas come to life by offering low cost access to industrial and digitalfabrication equipment and tools. We also provide fabrication and prototyping services, and skill buildingclasses for all ages. Visit www.makerspace.nyc and like us on Facebook @simakerspace and follow@simakerspace on Twitter and @simakerspace on Instagram to find out more.
About NYC DOT Art
Launched in 2008, the New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program invigorates the City’sstreetscapes with engaging temporary art installations. The Program partners with community-basedorganizations and artists to present murals, sculptures, projections and performances on plazas, fences,barriers, bridges, step streets and sidewalks for up to 11 months. Projects are presented within four
program tracks: Arterventions, Barrier Beautification, Community Commissions and Art Display CaseExhibits. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/dotart.
About Harumi Ori
Harumi Ori was born in Kyoto. She spent her childhood in Japan, Malaysia and United States. Ori moved toNew York in 1999 to study at the School of Visual Arts and received her second B.F.A with honors. Ori hashad several solo shows at the Karuizawa New Art Museum, Whitestone Gallery, Japan (2017), Artup, NY(2011), Ise Cultural Foundation, NY (2010), Queens Museum of Art, NY (2003). Ori lives in Brooklyn, NY.
www.harumiori.com
Staten Island, NY (October 26, 2017)— Installed on chain link fence at the corner of Bay Street and VictoryBoulevard, I am Here at Bay Street and Victory Boulevard, Staten Island, is a figurative, sculptural collageinstalled by artist Harumi Ori as a continuation of her ongoing series, “I am Here.” Her series has beenexhibited in New York City and in Tokyo and Karuizawa, Japan. The sculptural intervention will officially be unveiled on Friday, October 27th at 11 am at the corner of Bay Street and Victory Boulevard by NYC DOTArt, Staten Island MakerSpace, the artist and the Tompkinsville community at large. The artwork will remaininstalled for 11 months as part of the NYC DOT Art’s Community Commissions program.
Fabricated using plastic, industrial orangeconstruction mesh, the site-responsiveartwork is Ori’s largest sculpture to-date. Themesh is manipulated to create a snapshot of amoment in time, based off of photographstaken by Ori at the street crossing, whichfeature images of people, vehicles and objectsalong the streetscape. The layered folds of themesh convincingly render the shape andvolume of people and their surroundings, andas the pieces come together, the connectionsbetween individuals and groups, and thestreets, buildings, and landscapes they passthrough become evident. Orange mesh was selected because of its representation as a holy color in Ori’s native country, Japan.
I am Here at Bay Street and Victory Boulevard, Staten Island was commissioned through NYCDOT Art’ssignature program track Community Commissions. As part of the Community Commissions program track,DOT Art, with the assistance of community stakeholders and the DOT Borough Commissioner’s Offices,identifies priority sites and community-based partners to work with NYCDOT closely to commission anartist to create site-responsive temporary artwork throughout the five boroughs. Once a priority site andpartner have been identified for each borough, DOT Art and the pre-selected partner circulate an open call,review applications and then, work closely with the selected artist to commission a temporary artinstallation.
About Staten Island MakerSpace
Staten Island MakerSpace is a non-profit workshop that helps artists, craftspeople, engineers, inventors,and entrepreneurs make their ideas come to life by offering low cost access to industrial and digitalfabrication equipment and tools. We also provide fabrication and prototyping services, and skill buildingclasses for all ages. Visit www.makerspace.nyc and like us on Facebook @simakerspace and follow@simakerspace on Twitter and @simakerspace on Instagram to find out more.
About NYC DOT Art
Launched in 2008, the New York City Department of Transportation’s Art Program invigorates the City’sstreetscapes with engaging temporary art installations. The Program partners with community-basedorganizations and artists to present murals, sculptures, projections and performances on plazas, fences,barriers, bridges, step streets and sidewalks for up to 11 months. Projects are presented within four
program tracks: Arterventions, Barrier Beautification, Community Commissions and Art Display CaseExhibits. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/dotart.
About Harumi Ori
Harumi Ori was born in Kyoto. She spent her childhood in Japan, Malaysia and United States. Ori moved toNew York in 1999 to study at the School of Visual Arts and received her second B.F.A with honors. Ori hashad several solo shows at the Karuizawa New Art Museum, Whitestone Gallery, Japan (2017), Artup, NY(2011), Ise Cultural Foundation, NY (2010), Queens Museum of Art, NY (2003). Ori lives in Brooklyn, NY.
www.harumiori.com
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