11-10-2017
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Ai Weiwei. Five Fences, 2017. Steel, paint. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Jason Wyche, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY.
We are thrilled to partner with the Public Art Fund and Ai Weiwei on his much-celebrated citywide exhibition, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors. Ai conceived this multi-site, multi-media exhibition for public spaces, monuments, buildings, transportation sites, and advertising platforms throughout New York City. Collectively, these elements comprise a passionate response to the global migration crisis and a reflection on the profound social and political impulse to divide people from each other. The exhibition draws on many aspects of Ai's career as a visual artist and architect, and is informed by both his own life experience and the plight of displaced people.
We had the honor and pleasure of assisting the Public Art Fund and Ai Weiwei Studio in translating some of Ai's concepts into reality. We helped manage the design process and fabrication of four of the Fences on Buildings installations-189 Chrystie Street, 248 Bowery, Cooper Union and 48 East 7th Street-and steer the projects through city agencies.
"Good fences make good neighbors" is a folksy proverb cited in American poet Robert Frost's Mending Wall, where the need for a boundary wall is being questioned. Ai chose this title with an ironic smile and a keen sense of how populist notions often stir up fear and prejudice. Visitors to the exhibition will discover that Ai's "good fences" are not impenetrable barriers but powerful, immersive, and resonant additions to the fabric of the city.
Ai Weiwei. Bowery Fence, 2017. Steel, paint. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Timothy Schenck, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY.
To learn more about the exhibition and location of all of the installations, visit the Public Art Fund. The exhibition closes February 11, 2018. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors is curated by Public Art Fund Director & Chief Curator Nicholas Baume with the assistance of Associate Curator Daniel S. Palmer.
A special thank you to the Public Art Fund for inviting us to partner on such a timely and relevant project.
We had the honor and pleasure of assisting the Public Art Fund and Ai Weiwei Studio in translating some of Ai's concepts into reality. We helped manage the design process and fabrication of four of the Fences on Buildings installations-189 Chrystie Street, 248 Bowery, Cooper Union and 48 East 7th Street-and steer the projects through city agencies.
"Good fences make good neighbors" is a folksy proverb cited in American poet Robert Frost's Mending Wall, where the need for a boundary wall is being questioned. Ai chose this title with an ironic smile and a keen sense of how populist notions often stir up fear and prejudice. Visitors to the exhibition will discover that Ai's "good fences" are not impenetrable barriers but powerful, immersive, and resonant additions to the fabric of the city.
Ai Weiwei. Bowery Fence, 2017. Steel, paint. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Timothy Schenck, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY.To learn more about the exhibition and location of all of the installations, visit the Public Art Fund. The exhibition closes February 11, 2018. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors is curated by Public Art Fund Director & Chief Curator Nicholas Baume with the assistance of Associate Curator Daniel S. Palmer.
A special thank you to the Public Art Fund for inviting us to partner on such a timely and relevant project.