The Newtown Creek Armada is an interactive installation in which a model boat pond will be created on the Newtown Creek, one of America’s most polluted waterways. Visitors will be invited to pilot a fleet of handcrafted, miniature, radio-controlled boats along the creek’s surface while at the same time documenting the world hidden beneath the water. Each boat in the Armada will be equipped with an underwater camera and lights, allowing participants to record a unique voyage on the creek. Video from these underwater explorations will be on view at the project location, giving visitors a chance to virtually immerse themselves in the toxic waters of this Superfund site. The Newtown Creek Armada will be launched in September 2012 from the Newtown Creek Nature Walk in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The archive of voyages from The Armada will be presented in a gallery installation in Fall 2012.
The Newtown Creek Armada is a collaboration between three Brooklyn artists – Laura Chipley, Nathan Kensinger, and Sarah Nelson Wright – whose individual work creatively investigates industry, ecology, and change in urban spaces. The project was commissioned by nbART (North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition) through nbECO 2012, an open call seeking environmentally and sustainability-conscious art installations.
www.nbart.org
Laura Chipley uses video, sculpture and public interventions to scratch away at the surface of the ordinary and investigate the fantastical, spiritual and subversive qualities of everyday objects, places and human interactions. She is the creator of Deep Black Sea, an experimental documentary series that chronicles the aftermath of oil spills around the world. Her installations, sculptures and videos have been exhibited in festivals and galleries across the country.
www.laurachipley.com
Nathan Kensinger is a photographer and filmmaker whose work explores hidden aspects of the urban landscape, documenting the history of abandoned buildings and post-industrial neighborhoods. His most recent project, The Forgotten City, was installed at Bring To Light 2011, and his photographs are currently on display at 92Y Tribeca. Nathan’s work has also been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art, and is in the permanent collection of the Brooklyn Library.
www.nathankensinger.com
Sarah Nelson Wright is an interdisciplinary media artist whose work poetically investigates the changing urban landscape and seeks opportunities for public dialog and participation. In 2009, she created Brooklyn Makes, a site-specific video installation on manufacturing in North Brooklyn. Her work has been exhibited diverse venues including CONFLUX, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art, Bring to Light 2010, Art for Change, SESC in Brazil and ACVic in Spain.
www.sarahnelsonwright.com
For inquiries, email newtowncreekarmada [att] gmail {dot} com