Passage: Monolith, 2016|  Cement, Lumber,
and LED Lights

Passage: Monolith, a public art project installed in Harlem, explores the theme of “Changing Landscapes.” The social landscape of Harlem has evolved from Native Americans, to European settlers, Jews fleeing violent persecution, and former slaves escaping the Jim Crow South. The work functions on two levels: as a singular and traditional static sculpture, and as a piece activated by the viewer’s participation. Consisting of three concrete blocks, the sculpture forms a doorway. The opening of the doorway is a tall rectangle and the shape of a traditional monolith. While occupying the opening, the participant becomes the Monolith -- the symbol of transition and hope. A strip of light located on the inside of the passageway functions as a transitional component. As the sun falls, the sculpture shifts from being lit on the exterior to the interior, and as the glow becomes visible, the sculpture inverts itself. Passage: Monolith is an ode to the generations of migrants that enriched the landscape of Harlem.