by Navy Yard
September 5, 2024
Categories: Press Releases, Public Art,
BY INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS, SAMUEL BORKSON & ARTURO SANDOVAL III – FRIENDSWITHYOU AT PHILADELPHIA’S NAVY YARD THIS SEPTEMBER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lex Nemchenko
PUNCH Media
347.261.5925
lex@punchmedia.biz
Philly-Based Curatorial Collective Taps LA-Based Artist Duo Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III– FriendsWithYou, for Its Seventh Annual Public Art Project
PHILADELPHIA, PA (September 5, 2024) – Philadelphia’s premier curatorial collective Group X andthe Philadelphia Navy Yard, managed by PIDC,are proud to announce their seventh annual public art installation at the Navy Yard, Seated Little Cloud, a 35-foot tall outdoor art installation from world renowned Los Angeles-based multidisciplinary artist duo, Samuel Borkson & Arturo Sandoval – FriendsWithYou, created as a symbol of harmony and unity, with the purpose of spreading peaceful contemplation with nature. From Thursday, September5 through the end of the month, the installation will be on display in Crescent Park, just past the campus’ main entrance on Broad Street. The artwork will be open to the public Monday through Sunday, from sunup to sundown, and free for all to view and experience.
With a growing portfolio of publicly accessible interactive art installations, Seated Little Cloud is the seventh project curated by Group X in collaboration with the Navy Yard — which is managed by PIDC, Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation. Standing tall at 35 feet high, 26 feet wide and 21 feet deep, Seated Little Cloud will be the artists’ first public art project in Philadelphia, tapping into the artists’ universe of happy characters, and will take shape as alarge inflatable sculpture in the middle of Crescent Park, a 2.5-acre park located just beyond the Navy Yard’s front gates.
“We created Seated Little Cloud as a beacon of harmony, using our iconic Little Cloud in a meditative pose, to increase the love vibration to the city of Philadelphia and beyond” said Borkson and Sandoval. “We hope the meditative nature is contagious and brings serenity to all. Through our work we strive to connect to ourselves and each other, spreading friendship, building community, and deepening our relationship with the natural world.”
FriendsWithYou is the collaborative art project of Los Angeles-based artists Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III, working collectively since 2002 to create modern modes of spirituality with the mission of having a positive impact on the world. Their artwork has been materialized as experiences, immersive installations, sculptures, paintings, animation, and live performances. Throughout the course of their career, they have exhibited their artworks in museums and public venues worldwide from New York to Bangkok, Thailand, to Japan, to Toronto, Canada. In 2022, the City of Miami Beach commissioned “Starchild”, a 50 ft. tall, monumental steel sculpture installed at W 41st and Pine Tree Drive, which has since been acquired by the City as a permanent artwork. FriendsWithYou released their Rizzoli published monograph We Are FriendsWithYou in May 2014, and they created the hit animation series “True and the Rainbow Kingdom” on Netflix.
“We’ve wanted to work with FriendsWithYou ever since we started collaborating with PIDC and the Navy Yard in 2018,” said a representative from Group X. “Sam’s and Arturo’s work has always been very upbeat and accessible, and our goal is to create an avenue for everyone to experience art. It has been an honor and a privilege to work alongside the Navy Yard for seven years and utilize it as a canvas for our mission.”
This is the seventh collaborative public art partnership between Group X, a group of Philadelphia-based artists, curators, and organizers whose members are anonymous, and the Navy Yard, the “coolest shipyard in America” and leading model for repurposed military base where 15,000 employees work at 150 companies, surrounded by iconic parks, Complete Streets, and a riverfront greenway. Group X has consistently pushed the boundaries of public art through innovative collaborations:
- 2018 // Group X unveiled “Sea Monsters HERE,” the largest inflatable tentacle sculpture ever created by artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas
- 2019 // Group X presented “Tape Philadelphia: Enter the Cocoon,” an interactive tape sculpture by Numen/For Use
- 2020 // “Mystery Island and the Marvelous Occurrence of Spontaneous Art” (M.I.M.O.S.A.) featuring temporary installations by six international artists
- 2021 // Group X collaborated with Morag Myerscough on “Magical Fantasy,” an escapist installation initially showcased at the Firefly Music Festival and later relocated to the Navy Yard
- 2022 // Marianela Fuentes’ “Alpha Sacred Beings (The Origin of Creation)” was unveiled, a permanent monument at League Island Park honoring the Huichol or Wixárika people of Mexico and the Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Tribal Nation
- 2023 // Group X partnered with Matty Geez for “Greetings from The Mirage,” a domed installation featuring vibrant, larger-than-life cacti at the Navy Yard. This project explored gender identities and societal binaries through the juxtaposition of hard and soft materials and bold colors.
Together, these projects exemplify Group X’s dedication to showcasing immersive, thought-provoking public art that engages and inspires the community.
“We’re excited to once again partner with Group X to showcase FriendsWithYou’s innovative art installation, accessible to all Navy Yard-based employees as well as visitors,” said Kate McNamara, PIDC’s executive vice president at the Navy Yard. “Over the past 24 years, PIDC has transformed the Navy Yard into a thriving business campus with recreational amenities for all Philadelphians, and this exhibit embodies our efforts to create a vibrant, welcoming community. Events like this highlight the spirit of the Navy Yard, as we prepare to welcome residents to the campus next year for the first time since the naval base closed nearly three decades ago.”
Seated Little Cloud will be officially unveiled on Thursday, September 5 in Navy Yard’s Crescent Park, located near the intersection of Broad Street and League Island Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19112.
ABOUT GROUP X
Group X is a pioneering curatorial collective renowned for transforming public spaces with innovative and immersive art installations. Since 2018, they have collaborated with diverse artists to bring contemporary art to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Notable projects include “Sea Monsters HERE” by Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas, “Tape Philadelphia: Enter the Cocoon” by Numen/For Use, and “Mystery Island and the Marvelous Occurrence of Spontaneous Art” (M.I.M.O.S.A.), featuring works by six international artists. Other highlights include Morag Myerscough’s “Magical Fantasy” from the Firefly Music Festival, Marianela Fuentes’s permanent monument “Alpha Sacred Beings (The Origin of Creation),” and Matty Geez’s “Greetings From The Mirage,” exploring gender identity through vibrant, larger-than-life cacti. Group X remains dedicated to creating thought-provoking public art that engages and inspires communities.
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ABOUT PIDC & THE PHILADELPHIA NAVY YARD
PIDC is Philadelphia’s public-private economic development corporation. Since acquiring the 1,200-acre site from the federal government in 2000, PIDC has been the master developer and site operator of the Philadelphia Navy Yard. PIDC’s mission—to spur investment, support business growth, and facilitate developments that create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, and drive growth to every corner of Philadelphia—strongly informs its strategy for the Navy Yard, where the focus is on building a cohesive community that fosters employment, innovation, and production. PIDC manages all aspects of the property’s management and development, including master planning, leasing, property management, infrastructure development, utility operation, events and activations, and structuring development transactions. Visit PIDC at PIDCphila.com and NavyYard.org, and follow on social media at @PIDCphila and @NavyYardPhila.
ABOUT FRIENDSWITHYOU
FriendsWithYou is the collaborative art project of Los Angeles based artists Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III, working collectively since 2002 to create modern modes of spirituality with the mission of having a positive impact on our world. Their artwork has been materialized as experiences, immersive installations, sculptures, paintings, animation, and live performances. Throughout the course of their career, they have exhibited their artworks in museums and public venues worldwide including being the featured artists in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2018. In 2022, the City of Miami Beach commissioned “Starchild,” a 50 ft. tall, monumental steel sculpture installed at W 41st and Pine Tree Drive, which has since been acquired by the city as a permanent artwork. FriendsWithYou released their Rizzoli published monograph We Are FriendsWithYou in May 2014, and they created the hit animation series “True and the Rainbow Kingdom” on Netflix.
Website · Instagram · TikTok · X
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