About
The Newtown Creek Armada is an art installation that invites the public to explore the past, present and future of a contaminated New York City waterway. The Newtown Creek, a Superfund site bordering Brooklyn and Queens, is one of the most polluted bodies of water in the United States. In September 2012, visitors to The Armada piloted a fleet of artist-made, miniature, remote-controlled boats along the surface of the Newtown Creek while documenting the hidden world of its waters using waterproof video cameras.
The Newtown Creek Armada is a collaboration between artists Laura Chipley, Nathan Kensinger, and Sarah Nelson Wright, and is presented in partnership with North Brooklyn Public Art Coalition (nbART) and with support from the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the North Brooklyn Boat Club. It has received grants from the Hudson River Foundation, Brooklyn Arts Council, In Our Backyards (ioby), Macktez, and Feast Brooklyn. It has been made possible through the support of many community organizations and individuals. Please visit our Supporters page.
Artists
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 filmmaker, photographer and curator. His work explores hidden urban landscapes, off-limits structures, and other liminal spaces. Kensinger’s photographs have been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, and in recent solo shows at the Brooklyn Library and UnionDocs. His recent video installation, The Forgotten City, was included in Bring To Light 2011, and his films have screened widely at film festivals, including Slamdance, Black Maria, Rooftop Films, SF IndieFest, and the Boston Underground. He is currently the Director of Programming at the Brooklyn Film Festival.
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. She has exhibited in diverse New York venues, including CONFLUX, The Center, PowerHouse ArtSpace and Bring To Light, as well as in Mostra de Artes in San Paulo, Brazil, and ACVic in Vic, Spain. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts. She teaches video and media studies at NYU Polytechnic and Hunter College.
www.sarahnelsonwright.com
