28. Martynka Wawrzyniak “Ziemia” in McGolrick Park

Photo by Weronika Kwiatkowska courtesy of Ziemia

Ziemia: Our Stories Are Written in Soil is an installation in McGolrick Park in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. Created by Martynka Wawrzyniak with the Polish Cultural Institute, the piece evokes themes of nature, place-based identity, and community.

Ziemia was constructed as part of a community effort: the clay from which the piece was constructed was excavated in Greenpoint and the soil upon which it rests was collected from participating residents from places in which they culturally identify. Many Polish families have lived in Greenpoint for generations, and thus, Kwiatkowska travelled to Poland to collect soil for her own piece. The public location of the piece encourages individuals of different identities to exchange dialogue as the neighborhood undergoes change.