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New American Public Art (NAPA) is a multidisciplinary design-build studio working at the forefront of public space and art. Their new project, entitled “Ourself”, is currently transforming public space in Camden, NJ. Light, sound and microcomputers all come together in two beautiful interactive sculptures in this site specific, life affirming project.
Answering the call for public, interactive art that engages local communities, NAPA integrates sociology, engineering and human-relatable, identifiable materials (e.g. wood and metal) as well as light and sound to projects that engage participants, allowing them to become part of the experience rather than just observers.
For “Ourself” – NAPA’s latest project – which involves two installations in Camden, NJ, Bevan Weissman, Dan Sternof Beyer, Brandon Stafford, and Greg MacGlashing set up shop at NextFab May 1st and more-or-less lived there until the first piece was installed six weeks later in Camden on June 14th, literally working every hour that the facility was open.
The team managed to exploit nearly every department and machine at NextFab – from the electronics department to the Shopbot in the wood shop to the Flow Waterjet in the metal shop. Seeing a project of this complexity and scale built from start to finish at NextFab was inspiring.
The Genesis of the project came from the Cooper’s Ferry Partnership, a non-profit development organization that is working to revitalize the City of Camden. In 2015, Cooper’s Ferry Partnership and NAPA applied for and were awarded an NEA grant. The grant proposal expanded on a previous NAPA piece, Culture Tap, where personal interviews were shared in short audio clips. Cooper’s Ferry Partnership liked the element of the community voice, engendered through audio interviews, and expanded the context to relate to a broader Camden health initiative.
NAPA’s approach to public art is at the foundation of the work:
“A few basic questions are fundamental to the conceptualization and design of a public work:
How does the piece include the character of a community while maintaining a coherent aesthetic? How does the piece react and respond to its environment, both actually and conceptually? What is the interaction? For whom is it designed? What does the interaction mean? What about the physicality of the interaction is meaningful?”
The application of these ideas centered around two monolithic structures made primarily of wood and steel, containing collected audio interviews of Camden residents, focusing on positive aspects of their lives and things that motivate them, things that get them through the day. The two structures face each other, with illuminated, mirrored faces. When a participant enters the space between the two structures, internal sensors initiate playback of the audio recordings, which resonate through a wooden deck. The effect is both highly personal and very communal.
NAPA explains the physical design process for “Ourself”:
“The public-facing materials of “Ourself” were chosen to reflect honesty in industrial practice. Wood was chosen for its warmth and emotional accessibility. The steel elements’ factory finish has been retained under a protective clear coat. This gives the facade a ’truth in materials’ aesthetic, approachable and visually understandable by the common citizen.”
The conceptual, aesthetic, and technological aspects of “Ourself” come together in a beautiful and seamlessly executed piece. Part Two of this series will cover the fabrication process and Part Three will cover the interactive aspects of the piece.
Want to learn more about the team behind the installation?
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