Robert Gould – The Tree Still Stands
Robert Gould finds constants through nature. While reading Georgia Fraser’s 1909 book “The Stone House of the Gowanus,” he encountered a description of an old willow tree that was thought to date back to the time of the Battle of Brooklyn. Though Gould thinks the story is apocryphal, it propelled him to search for a […]
Battle Redux
During the Battle Ground exhibit, we will explore images, ideas and questions that unfold from our interdisciplinary exploration of the Battle of Brooklyn. Why are we looking at this distant battle that took place at the cusp of American history? Does it have any relevance to the present? Can over-used and manipulated Revolutionary imagery be […]
Making Utopia
Future Migration’s Frogs-In-Residence have received a lot of press recently. Please check out this link to an interesting article on Eben’s work and research around frog populations by Nick Normal of MAKE Magazine. Thank you to Nick for this thoughtful look at the making of the Utopia For the Golden Frog, by Eben Kirksey and […]
Are You Experienced?
Last week Proteus held a celebration and fundraiser called Nomad Mixer, in honor of our yearlong Migration theme. As always, our benefit was designed to deliver – along with delicious food and drink — actual experiences. This as opposed to, say, long speeches and nervous small talk. For example, upon entering our ‘gritty’ alleyway, guests […]
Speculative Migrations: The Future is Garbage
One afternoon, while on assignment at the daily newspaper where I used to work, I received an invitation to visit a waste incinerator. The plant sat along a river, in the center of the town that was my “beat” at the paper. The aging facility had been there for decades, dark and solitary, pumping out […]
Multispecies Salon Talks Seek Hope in Blasted Landscapes
Sunday, May 6 was the second in a three part conversation led by Proteus Anthropologist-In-Residence Eben Kirksey, examining what happens when natural and cultural worlds intermingle and collide. Eben is hosting the Multispecies Salon at Proteus Gowanus this spring, a “paraethnographic field site” where anthropologists, biologists, ecoartists and bioartists come together. The Multispecies Salon is […]
Report on the Listening Tour
Luckily not as cold as yesterday morning, although still on the brisk side. Some excellent sounds in the Vale and Midwood. Good woodpecker vocalizations and tapping, both atypical bird noise. Highlight two Canada geese flying overhead and, as is their wont, honking, very loud compared to the often subtle sounds of song birds. A rooster […]
Thoughts Prior to the Listening Tour
Sunday morning at 6 a.m. at Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park, I will be leading a Listening Tour for Proteus Gowanus, as part of Proteus’ year-long series of events, exhibits, and performances centered around the theme of Migration. The birds do it, some of the butterflies and dragonflies do it, and so do the sea turtles, and […]
Battle Pass Liberty Pole Goes Up at Smith and Bergen
Proteus Gowanus is pleased to announce a new public art installation located at the corner of Smith Street and Bergen Street in partnership with the NYC Department of Transportion’s Urban Art Program and the Boerum Hill Association. This is the second in a series of public art installations, performances and workshops called Battle Pass, a […]
From the Bureau of Unknown Destinations: How to Unknow
It’s ideal to start from a central station or one that has as many lines as possible. Your goal is to assign yourself a destination in a way that keeps it a surprise. Here are a few ways you might go about doing that. adjust, remix, & invent as you desire. All of these techniques […]
