In this 2-part video series, a small aspect of the ongoing and controversial St. Vincent’s redevelopment project is explored — the fate of a tiny triangle-shaped sliver of land across the street from the former hospital.
The developer — Rudin Management — has pledged to renovate the underutilized plot of land as part of their bid to convert the defunct hospital facilities into luxury condominiums. Their park proposal has been given the go-ahead by Manhattan’s Community Board 2.
But…
A community organization — the Queer History Alliance — has countered with a differing proposal. They aim to integrate a memorial for HIV/AIDS victims into the entire park design through a high-profile competition, saying St. Vincent’s Hospital was the “epicenter” of the crisis in New York City.
Here are the latest proposals for the triangle park:
Hyungsub Shin’s artwork has most often been described as “beautiful.” Whether his sculptures are an 8-foot-long wall hanging of entangled grass roots or a giant corn cob, the viewer is compelled to approach closely and examine every detail.
In an art culture defined by what is most shocking and politically-minded, Shin has focused on creating contemporary art that is both well crafted, conceptual and visually pleasing.
Shin’s sculptures are mostly inspired by grassroots, ivy roots, or Bonsai trees but sometimes he draws from the patterns he finds on roads and maps.
Patrick Regan, executive director of Crossing Art in Flushing, Queens, said Shin’s work is a departure from the approach of many Asian contemporary artists.
“Unfortunately contemporary art is almost a dirty word,” Regan said. “For so many years people were looking for something that is edgy or almost discordant or very jarring colors with controversial subjects, and you wonder, how can beautiful work be appreciated?”
Shin said that it is difficult for a lot of popular Korean artists to come to New York, not only because the lifestyle is more expensive but because Korean art that is appreciated in Seoul is not necessarily bought in America.
“With Americans it’s not a consideration of well-finished work, it’s more considered for its philosophical issues,” Shin explained. “It’s considered more for what it’s saying than how it looks.”
Shin said artists are struggling now more than ever and he is not an exception. Since the financial crisis began he has found that people who used to stop by the studio from time to time to shop won’t make a visit at all. Shin rents the studio space for $450 as one of three artists who share it. Now that one of the artists is moving out Shin is struggling to find an artist to take her place so that he won’t have to make up the difference.
“$50,000 after tax would be a great amount to make,” Shin said. “Then I can pay for my studio and home bills and material and maybe even an assistant.”
Shin said he does not regret the decision to become an artist. “This is what I love to do. I can’t go back now.”
When driving north to leave the city on the Bronx River Parkway, just passing Gun Hill Road in the North Bronx, the rolling hills and quiet beauty of the Woodlawn Cemetery accompany the way.
Founded during the third year of the Civil War, the Woodlawn Cemetery was designed as a “rural cemetery,” a product of the Romantic Era. Throughout the years it has managed to remain so, and has become an oasis of art, history and ecology in the midst of a growing city.
In the words of Edward Streeter, writer of “The story of the Woodlawn Cemetery,” “to pass through its great entrance gates into the tree shaded roads is like entering another world.” Continue reading →
A circle, or roda, forms around two Capoeira players as they move to the drum beat, their fast fluid movements and swift kicks blurring the line between fighting and dance. The players are members of Omulu Capoeira Guanabara, a New York City based Capoeira group that meets regularly to train and teach others about the art of Capoeira. Continue reading →
Early in December Le Chéile, a newly-opened restaurant in Washington Heights, hosted its first annual pinball competition. It drove in nearly 100 participants who vied for a grand prize of over $2500. Many of the competitors comprised the small, yet strong community that has persevered and kept pinball alive today with regular tournaments and leagues. Not all of the players at Le Chéile were hardcore “silver-ballers,” but all agreed on one thing: pinball is back on the rise.
In this 2-part video series, a small aspect of the ongoing and controversial St. Vincent’s redevelopment project is explored — the fate of a tiny triangle-shaped sliver of land across the street from the former hospital.
The developer — Rudin Management — has pledged to renovate the underutilized plot of land as part of their bid to convert the defunct hospital facilities into luxury condominiums. Their park proposal has been given the go-ahead by Manhattan’s Community Board 2.
A community organization — the Queer History Alliance — has countered with a differing proposal. They aim to integrate a memorial for HIV/AIDS victims into the entire park design through a high-profile competition, saying St. Vincent’s Hospital was the “epicenter” of the crisis in New York City.