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NEW YORK, NY – Renowned artist Willie Cole has created a unique installation on Park Avenue, New York City. The installation features four unique chandeliers, each with its own distinct name: 3000 Buddha Chandelier, Liberty Lantern, Soul Catcher, and Dirt Devil.

Moreover, these chandeliers are not just works of art; they also convey a powerful statement on sustainability. Constructed entirely from recycled water bottles, with a total of 9,000 bottles used for all four pieces, the installation showcases an innovative approach to materials. This unique use of recycled materials not only transforms waste into art but also underscores the potential of recycling and reusing to create stunning and environmentally conscious art pieces.

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Everything You Need to Know

Details

• What: Artist Willie Cole’s Unique Chandelier public art installation.
• When: The installation will be on view through the end of 2023.
• Where: The median of Park Avenue between 69th and 70th Streets in New York City.
• Tickets: Free to view and tickets are not required.

The Chandeliers

• Renowned artist Willie Cole created four unique chandeliers.
  • 3000 Buddha Chandelier, Liberty Lantern, Soul Catcher, and Dirt Devil.
• The artwork is on display at the median of Park Avenue, which is located between 69th and 70th streets on the Upper East Side in New York City.
• Water bottles are the discarded materials transformed into treasures through art.
  • Made entirely from a total of 9,000 recycled water bottles for all four pieces.
• The installation reveals an intimate connection between water bottles and cells.
  • Both water bottles and cells are made of modular units that unite through repetition.
• The 3000 Buddha Chandelier
  • Originated from the artist’s dream, Willie Cole’s favorite creation.
  • Composed of 3,000 water bottles.
  • Each bottle contains a printed image of Buddha on a plastic sheet inside.
  • Special ink is used for printing, ensuring resilience against various weather conditions.
• The Liberty Lantern features water bottles filled with images of the Statue of Liberty.
• Collaboration partners: The Fund for Park Avenue, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, and JRAL (local art contracting logistics company based in New Jersey).

Inspiration for Artwork

• Willie Cole drew inspiration from the 2016 water crisis in Newark.
• Lead contamination in tap water due to corroded pipes.
• Approximately 15,000 households faced the risk of lead poisoning.
• Elevated lead levels detected in schools led to EPA intervention.
• 2019 – EPA declared Newark’s water unsafe to drink.
• Newark was required to provide bottled water and filters to affected customers.
  • Plastics, including water bottles, are primarily made from harmful chemicals derived from fossil fuels.
  • Plastics are challenging to recycle.
  • Plastics contribute to about 3.4 percent of yearly greenhouse gas emissions.
• Mitigation Efforts:
  • By 2021, Newark replaced almost all 23,000 lead pipes.
  • Safer copper pipes were used for replacement.

The Artist Willie Cole

• Willie Cole was born in 1955 in Newark, New Jersey.
• Renowned as a sculptor and conceptual artist.
• His artwork exploring themes such as gender, consumerism, and African American identity.
• Specialization in transforming ordinary everyday objects into profound pieces of art.
  • Discarded items – Ironing boards, shoes, hair dryers, bicycle parts, musical instruments.
• Exhibition and display.
  • Featured in solo exhibits, group exhibits, site-specific installations, and college campuses across the United States.
  • Works showcased in prestigious collections at institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
• Artist-in-residence at Express Newark during 2022-2023.
  • Express Newark is a center for socially engaged art and design supported by Rutgers University-Newark
  • The Paul Robeson Gallery at Express Newark served as Cole’s open studio for a year.

Zoom Out

• Trash Art exhibitions represent a broader artistic movement.
• Repurposing discarded materials.
• Challenging viewers to reconsider their relationship with consumerism, waste, and the environment.
• Additional Artworks
  • Lower Manhattan “Earth Poetica” at Lower Manhattan.
    • A globe created from plastic waste.
  • “Death to the living, Long Live Trash” at Brooklyn Museum.