Project Report “Wishing Lamp”

Curating Public Narrative

Project Report “Wishing Lamp”

By: Kevin Ko (Kwang Min Ko), Mackenzie Lestan, Reven, SeonAe Moon 

Introduction

The learning aspect of Anthony Whitfield’s course <Curating Public Narrative.A.Fa15>

Our group seeks to install our “Wishing Lamp” structure in three chosen public locations, Washington Square Park, Bryant Park, and Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City. Our group consist four Parsons students, one senior student majoring in Photograph, one senior student majoring in Integrated Design, and one senior and one junior Design Management students. We have worked in multiple phases to develop for our design for public art installation project. This report is final proposal before we install our art project in three public locations for a period of time in the future.  

Objectives

The main objective of our project is to give people a comfort zone and create unified environment that neighbors or visitors from the entire world can think and express their feelings in public space. We have chosen three different park locations, which have different demographics resulting different and unique outcome for each locations. We will be installing three large lamp sculptures. The design of the lamp is a simple, large rectangle shape lamp has light wires around, similar to Japanese traditional lamp. The color of the lamp will change in certain set up time, which can changes the mood of the environment depending on the colors. Our group wants our installed art project to create space within the space, for people to freely interact and express their thinking with our installed lamp structure. People can use wishing tag papers that will be installed on the bottom of our structure. 

We want to observe how each different park locations with variety of demographics have different voices and different expression. 

Description of Art and Installation (Location)

1. Washington Square Park

Washington Square Park is one of the best known of New York City’s 1,900 public parks.

Location: Foot of Fifth Avenue, bordered by Waverly Place, University Place, MacDougal Street

Building Near by: Most of the buildings surrounding the park now belong to New York University, but many have at one time served as homes and studios for artists. Some of the buildings have been built by NYU while others have been converted from former uses in to academic and residential buildings.

Neighborhood: It is a landmark in Manhattan in the neighborhood of Greenwich Village as a meeting place and center for cultural activity. It is operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

2. Brooklyn Bridge Park (Dumbo)

Location: Furman St, Water St, John St, Old Fulton St, Main St. It’s end of the Brooklyn Bridge

Building Near by: There is Brooklyn Bridge and Wall Street office buildings near by and residential building.

Neighborhood: The park offers breathtaking view of Lower Manhattan and numerous recreational facilities such as; playgrounds, basketball courts, and sports fields. The park attracts tons of Tourists and New Yorkers everyday. 

3. Bryant Park

Location: Fifth and Sixth Avenue between 40th and 42nd Streets

Building Near by: Salmon Tower, W.R. Grace Building, Bryant Park Building, 1095 Avenue of the Americas, Bryant Park Studio Building, American Radiator Building, Knox Hat Building, The New York Public Library

Neighborhood: Bryant Park is privately managed Public Park by Bryant Park Corporation. The park is filled with office workers on sunny weekdays, city visitors on the weekends, and revelers during the holidays. One of the biggest features of the park is a large lawn that turns in to skate rink during the winter. There are large trees surrounding the park blocking the view of congested New York City view, witch creates comfortable public environment for exhausted workers and pedestrian.

Materials-The Blue Print