Central Park is a tranquil counterpoint to the density of urban life. while the green pastures, rocky ledges, and verdant foliage of Central Park give the impression of a timeless existence, it was intentionally designed by Olmsted and Vaux in 1858. Its origins as an “Adirondacks for the everyday person” gave way to almost 160 years of decline, restoration, and renewel. Today, Central Park is both a thriving refuge for nature and a civic space animated by people as they come to congregate, play, reflect, love, listen, and learn.
Drifting in Daylight, an exhibition of eight site-specific artworks throughout the north end of Central Park, responds to the multitude of ways in which park landscapes, histories, and uses are animated through daily life. The artworks embrace the park and weave themselves within it. While some pieces explicitly respond to their surrounding arbors, lochs and groves, others hide in plain sight. Some punctuate the landscape, while others playfully mimic its forms. This exhibition takes the form of a set of experiences that repurpose common pastoral diversions of the Park as it is today.
You are invited to stroll through the Park and choose your own path. You may happen upon an artwork or pause to observe the scenery. Dream, drift, participate, and experience the park at your own pace. This is your park.
– Cara Starke and Nato Thompson, co-curators