Rendering by Katharina Grosse, 2016 Courtesy of MoMA PS1 Rockaway! On view July 3- November 30, 2016 at Fort Tilden MoMA PS1 presents Rockaway!, a special outdoor exhibit by artist Katharina Grosse, acclaimed for exploring the medium of painting in regards to its locations, condition and possibilities. Through this temporary public art installation, Grosse turns Ft. Tilden's decaying aquatics building into a sublimely exhilarating exterior painting with her unique spray painting technique. In her practice, Grosse seeks to extend the scope of her paintings beyond the traditional borders of a canvas. She uses a technique in which brightly colored paint is sprayed directly onto site-specific structures. In doing so, she incorporates both the architectural features of the space, and materials located in the immediate vicinity, such as sand, trees, sea grass and pavement. These sprawling and sculptural landscapes evoke the physicality of action painting and earthworks through their gestures and monumentality. Grosse's work seamlessly combines the subtle nuances of light and shadow, characteristic of traditional landscape painting, with the weight and spectacle of large scale sculpture. In this exhibition, Grosse's singular approach highlights the possibilities of painting as a medium, and encapsulates the stark beauty of the natural and manmade structures in which this installations is contextualized. Rockaway! is organized in collaboration with the Rockaway Artists Alliance, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, Central Park Conservancy, NYC Parks & Recreation and Rockaway Beach Surf Club. Rockaway! 2016 is a continuation of MoMA PS1's ongoing collaborative programming alongside the Rockaway Artists Alliance in the Rockaways that began with the VW Dome 2, erected in 2013 in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and that continued with Rockaway! in summer of 2014 which featured solo projects by Patti Smith, Adrian Villar Rojas, and Janet Cardiff as well as a group show at the Rockaway Beach Surf Club. History of the Collaboration MoMA PS1's active relationship with the Rockaways began in 2012, when members of the museum's staff and volunteers came together to bring support and supplies to the community in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The museum's collaboration with the Rockaway Artists Alliance and NYC Parks was strengthened in 2013 with the construction of the VW Dome 2, a temporary structure, which was erected on Beach 95th Street in Rockaway Beach, and served as a cultural and community center, and emerged as a central part of relief and volunteer efforts in the months following the hurricane. Given its work on the VW Dome 2, MoMA PS1 was in a unique position to facilitate a coordinated effort between the newly established JBRPC, a public-private partnership with the NPS and DPR, dedicated to improving the 10,000 acres of public parkland throughout Jamaica Bay and the Rockaway Peninsula, and local artists and community groups in the Rockaways. Rockaway! is an encouraging example of the many collaborations that have developed through the challenging process of rebuilding the Rockaways. Since 1995 Rockaway Artists Alliance (RAA) has brought innovative art exhibitions, cultural events, and high-quality art education programs to the Rockaway peninsula. RAA's facilities-- sTudio 6, sTudio7, and Building T-149-- are nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Jamaica Bay in Gateway National Recreation Area's historic Fort Tilden. RAA brings children, adults and seniors to the Fort for interactive programs -- like Rockaway!-- lectures, demonstrations, and musical performances. Rockaway Artists Alliance presents Forbidden Fruit: Street Art in a National Park, telling the story of the people, flora and fauna of Jamaica Bay. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy The Jamaica Bay- Rockaway Parks Conservancy (JBRPC) is a public-private partnership established in 2013 that is dedicated to improving the 10,000 acres of public parkland throughout Jamaica Bay and the Rockaway Peninsula for local residents and visitors alike. With its partners at the National Park Service and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, JBRPC works to expand public access; increase recreational and educational opportunities; foster citizen stewardship and volunteerism; preserve and restore natural areas, including wetland and wildlife habitat, enhance cultural resources; and ensure the long-term sustainability of the parklands, including the development of the Science and Resilience Institute. The National Park Service (NPS) operates more than 400 parks and historic sites nationwide, including Gateway National Recreation Area--which contains Fort Tilden--established in 1972 as America's first urban national park. In 2012, NPS and the City of New York forged an unprecedented partnership to restore and revitalize 10,000 acres of unique parklands surrounding Jamaica Bay. Rockaway!, a direct outgrowth of that collaboration, seeks to attract and engage new visitors to these amazing waterfront parks. The Central Park Conservancy is proud to support the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, a public-private partnership dedicated to improving the 10,000 acres of public parkland throughout Jamaica Bay and the Rockaway Peninsula for local residents and visitors alike, with a series of summer volunteer opportunities and free activities, including a film festival presented by the Rockaway Artists Alliance. New York City Department of Parks & Recreation NYC Parks is the steward of nearly 30,000 acres of land--14 percent of New York City. These holdings include some 3,000 acres within the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks, including Rockaway Beach, the iconic urban getaway recently rediscovered by a new generation of surfers and beach lovers. NYC Parks launched its Art in the Parks program in 1967 and now oversees more than 800 permanent monuments and dozens of temporary artworks each year and, through collaboration with the National Park Service on the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks, provided additional support for Rockaway! Rockaway Beach Surf Club is a cultural event space, restaurant and bar devoted to promoting the love of surfing, conserving the environment and supporting its local neighbors. Unique to Rockaway Beach is the convergence of surf and urban culture. Our mission is to inspire the community and its residents through surfing and be a fun and positive destination for visitors to the peninsula. We believe in supporting everything the community has to offer...including the work of artists, writers, musicians and all lovers of surf and beach. In 2012, Rockaway Beach Surf Club led the on-ground recovery efforts following Hurricane Sandy and will continue to be a leader in the community for years to come. Rockaway! is made possible through the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies and The Secunda Family Foundation. Special thanks to Arvene By The Sea, LLC and Rockaway Beach Boulevard Construction, LLC.
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Last updated: March 10, 2017