11. Liberty Bell in Rockaway Park
Photo by Neil Rasmus/BFA, courtesy of Art Production Fund.
A new public art project utilizing augmented reality is currently on display at Shirley Chisholm Park in the Rockaway neighborhood of Queens. The piece, named Liberty Bell, is the work of artist Nancy Baker Cahill. The Rockaway piece is one of six Liberty Bell experiences available throughout the country this summer. Liberty Bell uses its unique technological premise to comment on the tumultuous nature of American history and the nation’s current state of inequality and injustice.
Taking visual inspiration from the historic Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania and its famous crack, Cahill’s piece features richly textured brushstrokes and bell sounds that grow more and more turbulent the longer they are viewed. The visuals and audio are meant to reflect the evolution and transformation of liberty over time and the complex reality of America today. The art is experienced through augmented reality technology viewed using the free 4th Wall app. The piece was commissioned by the Art Production Fund, in partnership with 7G Foundation and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy.