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Six Acclaimed Artists Interpret Ecology and the Landscape for ‘Ground/work 2025’
by Aurelia Butler 21 August 2025, 18:57
Hugh Hayden, “The End.” Photo by Thomas Clark. All images courtesy of the artists and The Clark Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, shared with permission
Six Acclaimed Artists Interpret Ecology and the Landscape for ‘Ground/work 2025’
August 21, 2025
ArtNature
Kate Mothes
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Across the expansive 140-acre grounds of The Clark Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, six contemporary artists have been invited to create site-specific works engaging with the property’s meadows, trails, and woods, while highlighting their individual practices.
Sculptures by Yō Akiyama, Laura Ellen Bacon, Aboubakar Fofana, Hugh Hayden, Milena Naef, and Javier Senosiain dot a variety of sites, from manicured parkland to open fields to groves of trees.
Laura Ellen Bacon, “Gathering My Thoughts.” Photo by Joe Aidonidis
Bacon, whose ethereal sculptures made of malleable twigs seem to move, has installed the nine-by-five-foot “Gathering My Thoughts” in a wooded area. Made from willow sourced from Ohio, the piece appears to writhe like a living, growing form.
Hayden has constructed a larger-than-life ribcage—species unknown—made of locally sourced hemlock punctuated by dozens of branches that poke out in every direction. Partly camouflaged amid the trees, the work invites us to consider themes of ecological vulnerability, extinction, and the climate crisis. Following the exhibition, the piece will be allowed to decompose on-site, mirroring the way animal remains also eventually vanish back into the earth.
Fofana’s installation of two botanical forms, titled “Bana Yiriw ni Shi Folow (Trees and Seeds of Life),” is the artist’s first public art piece. He draws upon his spiritual belief in the divinity of nature, incorporating rolls of African cotton dyed with indigo, representing seeds, into a curling metal frame.
Other works include Senosiain’s vibrant sea creature, installed in a pond, along with Akiyama’s conical monolith evocative of scorched wood and Naef’s marble slabs that merge with the negative spaces of a fallen tree.
Aboubakar Fofana, “Bana Yiriw ni Shi Folow (Trees and Seeds of Life).” Photo by Thomas Clark
Curated by independent scholar Glenn Adamson, the exhibition provides the opportunity to experience contemporary art in a natural setting. Olivier Meslay, Hardymon Director of the Clark Art Institute, says:
The Clark’s campus becomes an accomplice, of sorts, in helping us to see and appreciate each artist’s particular vision and the interconnection between art and nature. With this edition of Ground/work, our guest curator…has intentionally blurred the line that traditionally separates the consideration of art and craft, urging us to appreciate the art that is inherent in all forms of craft.
Ground/work 2025 continues through October 2026, with free access day or night, 24/7, on The Clark’s campus. Plan your visit on the museum’s website.
Hugh Hayden, “The End” (detail)
Javier Senosiain, “Coata III.” Photo by Thomas Clark
Yō Akiyama, “Oscillation: Vertical Garden.” Courtesy of the artist and Joan B Mirviss LTD. Photo by Thomas Clark
Laura Ellen Bacon, “Gathering My Thoughts” (detail). Photo by Joe Aidonidis
Aboubakar Fofana, “Bana Yiriw ni Shi Folow (Trees and Seeds of Life)” (detail). Photo by Thomas Clark
Milena Naef, “Three Times Spannin.” Photo by Thomas Clark
Yō Akiyama, “Oscillation: Vertical Garden” (detail). Courtesy of the artist and Joan B Mirviss LTD. Photo by Thomas Clark
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A Glowing Inflatable Canyon by ENESS Squeezes Inside Melbourne’s Prahran Square
by Aurelia Butler 15 August 2025, 14:08
All images courtesy of ENESS, shared with permission
A Glowing Inflatable Canyon by ENESS Squeezes Inside Melbourne’s Prahran Square
August 15, 2025
Art
Grace Ebert
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Although it appears that thousands of tons of boulders have been dropped into Prahran Square in Melbourne, the enormous rocks are actually as light as air. Art and technology studio ENESS (previously) has installed its inflatable “Iwagumi Air Scape” in the park, creating an immersive canyon for visitors to wander through.
While the 16 massive stones have a grainy, granite-like texture during the day, at night, they glow in otherworldly pinks and yellows, creating a surreal landscape that illuminates the urban environment. Audio of flora and fauna accompanies the work, so that when viewers squeeze through what would be a treacherous pass between real boulders, the soft inflatables and mountain sounds wrap them in a natural embrace.
The outdoor installation is on view through August 17, when it will travel to additional locations. Keep up with its stops on ENESS’s Instagram.
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An Inflatable Building Recreates the Iconic Mecca Flats at the Heart of Chicago’s Black Renaissance
by Aurelia Butler 12 August 2025, 12:17
All images courtesy of Floating Museum, shared with permission
An Inflatable Building Recreates the Iconic Mecca Flats at the Heart of Chicago’s Black Renaissance
August 12, 2025
ArtDesignHistory
Grace Ebert
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As the World’s Fair loomed on Chicago’s horizon, architects Willoughby J. Edbrooke and Franklin Pierce Burnham built a 98-unit hotel to house visitors. After the exposition was finished, the Romanesque Revival building with a large central courtyard was converted into apartments and became known as Mecca Flats.
Chicago adhered to strict segregation codes in the 19th century, and Mecca Flats, located in the Bronzeville neighborhood at 3360 S. State Street, wasn’t immune. The complex originally only allowed white residents, before allowing Black residents in 1911. Quickly, the building became a site for creatives well-known in the Black Renaissance. Gwendolyn Brooks famously titled a book after the tenement, and luminaries Muddy Waters and Katherine Dunham called Mecca Flats home.
View of the indoor atrium at the Mecca Flats, East 34th and South State Street, Chicago, Illinois.
Although a historical beacon of Black creativity, the Illinois Institute of Technology razed the building in 1952. It was replaced by the Mies van der Rohe-designed S.R. Crown Hall.
While Mecca Flats are long gone, its memory lives on throughout Chicago, and thanks to the collective known as Floating Museum, a new artwork revives the cultural hub. “for Mecca” is a large-scale inflatable structure recreating the once-thriving complex in grayscale polyester. Scaled down, this iteration stretches 41 feet long, with a U-shaped passageway for viewers to walk through.
Floating Museum is co-directed by avery r. young, Andrew Schachman, Faheem Majeed, and Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, who share that the project offers a “tangible artifact” of Chicago’s lost history. They say:
“for Mecca” represents our collective interest in Bronzeville’s complex history. We can no longer view nostalgic images of Mies van der Rohe—enjoying a cigar in the emptiness of S.R. Crown Hall—without also imagining Mecca Flats, collapsed under his feet, and recalling the slow strategic displacement of the African American community signified by the presence of its absence.
The project also includes several nods to former South Side institutions, including the jazz dancehall Savoy Ballroom and the Regal Theatre, a popular night club and performance venue.
Debuting this past weekend at the original site, the project will travel around the city’s parks through the summer of 2026. “for Mecca” is the latest project in the collective’s Floating Monuments series, which seeks to uncover critical cultural and historical legacies within Chicago through public installations.
Find more from Floating Museum on its website.
The Stroll, Regal Theater, and the Savoy Ballroom, Chicago, 1941. Photo by Russell Lee. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives.
Savoy Ballroom, 47th Street and South Parkway, Chicago, 1929. Curt Teich Postcard Archives Digital Collection, Newberry Library.
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Acrobatic Poses in Monumental Murals by Artez Invigorate Urban Buildings
by Aurelia Butler 4 August 2025, 17:14
“Dancer” (2024), Bourgoin-Jallieu, France. All images courtesy of Artez, shared with permission
Acrobatic Poses in Monumental Murals by Artez Invigorate Urban Buildings
August 4, 2025
Art
Kate Mothes
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With acrobatic finesse, the figures in Artez’s large-scale murals interpret the boundaries of the walls themselves through contemporary dance and moments of repose.
Currently working on an ongoing series titled Simple Acrobatics, the artist explains that he aims to “break away from the conventional approach of depicting the human figure on a mural and offer a fresh perspective on how the human form can be portrayed in public spaces.” Dancers fill the sides of buildings, sometimes using a chair as a prop, stretching around the confines of the wall as if challenging its boundaries.
“Simple Acrobatics” (2025), Wuppertal, Germany
Another recent theme, Thirst, portrays people drinking from vases of flowers. The unusual gesture nods to a sense of awareness, inviting viewers to consider society—its conventions and expectations—and contemplate the world around them anew.
Artez is currently in Gothenburg, Sweden, working on a new Simple Acrobatics mural. Find more on Instagram.
Patras (2024). Photo by KLE
“Thirst (Milena)” (2024), Aalborg, Denmark
Cerzeto, Italy (2024)
“Simple Acrobatics” (2024), Bristol, U.K.
“Simple Acrobatics” (2024), Boulogne Sur Mer, France
“Sleepers” (2023), Cacak, Serbia
“Simple Acrobatics” (2024), Zagreb, Croatia
“Thirst For Nature “(2024), Belgrade, Serbia
“Simple Acrobatics” (2024), Cheltenham, U.K.
“Moving Residents” (2023), Deventer, The Netherlands
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An Ornate Stenciled Rug by Mateo Complements a Cultural Center’s Communal Rooftop in Dakar
by Aurelia Butler 1 August 2025, 13:59
All images courtesy of Mateo, shared with permission
An Ornate Stenciled Rug by Mateo Complements a Cultural Center’s Communal Rooftop in Dakar
August 1, 2025
Art
Kate Mothes
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On the rooftop of TRAMES, an artistic and cultural center in Dakar, Senegal, a vibrant new installation by Mateo creates a welcoming atmosphere above the hustle and bustle of the city. Using paint and stencils, the artist incorporated motifs familiar in Senegal culture, like traditional wrestling, bird tracks, fish, and wax fabrics.
Mateo was also inspired by teraanga, a word in the Wolof language that loosely translates to “hospitality” but is also characterized by a much more holistic philosophy of generosity and acceptance. For hundreds of years, teraanga has shaped communities’ openness and exchange with one another, continuing today as an integral and defining facet of the Senegalese way of life.
Mateo was invited to TRAMES for a residency, where he initially planned to paint a mural. But he was inspired by the communal rooftop space of the center and conceived instead of a large patterned carpet that evokes the teraanga ethos and celebrates Senegalese culture.
“Rather than painting a wall, I chose to work on the rooftop terrace, a vibrant space used for gatherings, celebrations, and dance rituals,” the artist says. Painting on the carpet directly onto the ground facilitated, he adds, “a symbolic, open-air space for connection and ritual.”
Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.
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Among Andalusian Vineyards, a Vivid Carpet Creates a Space for Gathering
by Aurelia Butler 25 July 2025, 19:27
All images courtesy of Javier de Riba, shared with permission
Among Andalusian Vineyards, a Vivid Carpet Creates a Space for Gathering
July 25, 2025
ArtDesign
Grace Ebert
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Nestled among the vineyards of Andalusia, a bold intervention creates a space for gathering in the small village of Montemayor. “Pasera” is the latest addition to Javier de Riba’s ongoing Floors series, a project focused on reclaiming small plots of land as communal sites.
“Pasera” refers to the fields where grapes shrivel up into raisins, producing the exceptionally sweet Pedro Ximénez-style dessert sherry typical throughout the region. Mimicking a patterned carpet, de Riba’s mural is a vibrant motif of burgundy and soft yellow, a nod to the fruits that surround it.
The local community held a breakfast to inaugurate the new work, which the artist notes is an important part of instilling pride and ownership over the space. “As the feeling of home is a feeling that is created, and it fades if not taken care of, now it depends on its use and care to ensure that this meeting place remains alive,” he adds.
De Riba offers prints and picnic blankets featuring his unique motifs in his shop. Find much more on his website and Instagram.
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Six Activist Trolls Tromp Through a California Woodland to ‘Save the Humans’
by Aurelia Butler 22 July 2025, 17:32
“Kamma Can: The Treasure Troll.” All images courtesy of Filoli, shared with permission
Six Activist Trolls Tromp Through a California Woodland to ‘Save the Humans’
July 22, 2025
ArtNature
Grace Ebert
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As visitors wander through a mile-stretch of Filoli’s Natural Lands this summer, they’ll encounter a group of eager wooden characters ready to share their wisdom. Trolls: Save the Humans is a playful, yet urgent exhibition by Danish artist Thomas Dambo (previously), who’s known for creating enormous fairytale characters from reclaimed wood.
At Filoli, Dambo has installed six creatures, each with a distinct personality and agenda. There’s the innovative “Kamma Can,” a “treasure troll” that enjoys teaching people to turn their leftover wrappers and disposable containers into vibrant creations. “Ibbi Pip: The Birdhouse Troll” is similarly concerned with transforming the environment by installing avian homes, while “Sofus Lotufs: The Listening Troll” directs our attention to the forest floor and asks us to be mindful of the changes happening all around.
“Sofus Lotus: The Listening Troll”
“I’m so happy my Trolls get to spend some time amongst the giant redwoods at Filoli,” Dambo says. “I spent a day hiking in the forest, and it is a magical place where I know my Trolls will feel at home.”
Staggering in stature and inviting in presence, the characters are activists at their core and passionate about teaching sustainability. Like much of the artist’s practice, this exhibition utilizes the charm and wonder of fairytales to convey critical messages about the climate crisis and human behavior.
Trolls continues through November 10 in Woodside, California. Follow Dambo’s passionate personalities on Instagram.
“Ronja Redeye: The Speaker Troll”
Detail of “Sofus Lotus: The Listening Troll”
“Ibbi Pip: The Birdhouse Troll”
“Basse Buller: The Painting Troll”
“Sofus Lotus: The Listening Troll”
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Unity and Resilience Flow Through Taquen’s Gestural Compositions
by Aurelia Butler 10 July 2025, 20:00
Unity and Resilience Flow Through Taquen’s Gestural Compositions
July 10, 2025
ArtSocial Issues
Jackie Andres
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In large-scale minimalist compositions, street artist Taquen covers the sides of houses, hospitals, and street barriers with reminders of strength and mutual understanding.
Often depicting animals in motion, kinetic portraits, and expressive hands, Taquen’s expansive works exude momentum. The importance of movement reflects a central tenet of the artist’s practice, as he visits different parts of the world to work on murals.
One of his recent excursions was made possible by The Jaunt, a residency program that creates opportunities for artists to travel to a new destination to spark inspiration and connection. In February, Taquen made the journey from his hometown of Madrid to Africa to participate in the Sahara Marathon.
Established in 2001 to advocate for and demonstrate solidarity with the Sahrawi people, the international event takes place in close proximity to Tindouf, Algeria, a region that has been marked by the Western Sahara Conflict and humanitarian crisis for decades.
In 1975, when Spain relinquished its colonial rule over the Western Sahara region, a power vacuum erupted between neighboring countries, leading to the Madrid Accords. This agreement heavily ignored the voices of Indigenous Sahrawi people who were forced into displacement, eventually settling into refugee camps that still reside in the Algerian desert approximately fifty years later.
The long-standing conflict has faded in and out of headlines for decades, but the Sahara Marathon has continued to shine a light on the resilience of the Sahrawi people. “It was a project that allowed me to combine my greatest passions—art and sport—and also to contribute as much as possible to this unjust cause,” Taquen shares.
The artist’s resulting silkscreen print demonstrates his experiences in Tindouf. Featuring two gestural hands with bold line work that subtly nods to henna, Taquen references young Sahrawi women, who play a vital role in the desert’s society. “During the marathon, for example, they were the ones who encouraged us the most,” the artist shares. “In the houses where we lived, they took care of us, their families, and so on. They are an example.”
Arabic text lies below, alluding to a phrase that resonated with Taquen along the way. “The Sahrawi people living in the refugee camps call this place ‘the desert in the desert,’ which is meant both geographically and metaphorically. I knew I wanted to reference that in my artwork,” he says.
Beyond the limited-edition print, Taquen also created a four-color risograph portrait combining line drawings and analog photography. And before leaving the refugee camps, the artist hosted two art workshops for children, sharing, “at the end of the day, these are boys and girls who do not speak my language, but through drawing we were able to express ourselves. It taught me a lot about their ideas and their hopes for the future.”
The artist is currently in Sicily completing the Graniti Murales residency and has a busy year coming up including an art festival this summer and a solo exhibition in the fall. Keep up with his work on Instagram, and learn more on his website.
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public art

More stories

Six Acclaimed Artists Interpret Ecology and the Landscape for ‘Ground/work 2025’

A Glowing Inflatable Canyon by ENESS Squeezes Inside Melbourne’s Prahran Square

An Inflatable Building Recreates the Iconic Mecca Flats at the Heart of Chicago’s Black Renaissance

Acrobatic Poses in Monumental Murals by Artez Invigorate Urban Buildings

An Ornate Stenciled Rug by Mateo Complements a Cultural Center’s Communal Rooftop in Dakar

Among Andalusian Vineyards, a Vivid Carpet Creates a Space for Gathering

Six Activist Trolls Tromp Through a California Woodland to ‘Save the Humans’

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