As Boston reckons with the tangible impacts of the climate crisis, a striking new public art exhibit titled SONG/LAND/SEA: WAI Water Warning & Binakol Blessing is set to engage with pressing issues of environmental justice. The interdisciplinary artist behind the project, Lani Asunción, is bringing her vision to the Rose Kennedy Greenway with an opening slated for Thursday, July 25, from 6-8:30 p.m., according to Boston.com.
This immersive installation does not shy away from complex themes, choosing instead to confront the historical and ongoing inequities exacerbated by climate change. Asunción's work directly addresses the Greenway's past, particularly the construction of the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway and the Big Dig, and their contribution to displacement and urban heat islands affecting areas like Chinatown, Roxbury, and Dorchester. "Climate change is not a distant threat but an urgent reality, exacerbating existing inequalities and disproportionately impacting marginalized communities," Asunción's statement explained, shedding light on the local implications of global problems, as reported by Boston.com.
The exhibit is anchored by two central pieces. One of them, the WAI Water Clock, is an eight-foot-tall sculpture encompassing cement, brass, sailors' rope, and steel. Emanating the rustic echoes of ancient timekeeping, this sculpture features a vessel and associated bell designed to symbolize the dire state of Boston's flooding coastlines and the passage of time. Additionally, Asunción created the Binakol Blessing Banners + Flags, which comprise digital images printed on towering flags and vinyl banners, fusing designs from different traditions and evoking themes of protection and resilience. Descriptions of these pieces provided by The Greenway's official website convey a potent visual narrative tying together water as a life force and the call to action it necessitates amid a climate crisis.
Integral to SONG/LAND/SEA is the concept of "wai," holding deep significance in Hawaiian culture as both a symbol of life force and wealth. "Foundational to Hawaiian culture, wai sits at the root of many words associated with value and importance, such as waiwai," as noted by The Greenway website, capturing Asunción's emphasis on water's pivotal role. Innovation also features in the installation, where viewers can interact with the artwork, using knotted sailors' rope to ring the bell at the center of WAI Water Clock. This gesture is intended not just as a clarion call to consciousness, but also as a poignant blessing to be shared amongst the Greenway community.
The realization of this important work has been a collaborative endeavor. Asunción has worked with artisans across New England, including Lunaform of Sullivan, US Bells of Prospect Harbor, and Shane Signs of Somerville. They've come together not only to fabricate but also to bring a shared mission to life through art. These relationships also serve to remind us of the community's potential for mobilizing around shared concerns for justice, and sustainability. The project, while a reminder of the challenges faced, is equally a testimony to community strength in addressing the ongoing environmental crisis.
