Title: What is Here
Location: Buffalo, New York, USA
Artist: Li-Hill
For: Buffalo AKG Art Museum
Year: 2023
Photo Credits: Li-Hill (1-2), Pat Cray (3)
“AKG and I have been in touch about working together for more than 6 years and it’s been one of the most meaningful projects to come together. This mural was created over years of consultation with the residents at LBJ, the building that now supports this 10-story mural, and the AKG museum’s public art program. All images which are the source inspiration for the artwork are of residents of the buildings and nearby locals taken by talented photographer and Buffalo native Pat Cray.
This mural is about strength amid division. Located next to the complex is the Scajaquada freeway that cuts through the city of Buffalo. Pre-1960 this was a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted which was then paved over by Robert Moses to prioritize the movement of vehicles. These changes ushered in a massive division between the populations of Buffalo. The background of the mural is symbolic of this concrete divide and the communities it affects.
The choice to have Bow and Arrow, an indigenous resident of the building at the head of the composition, is not only an acknowledgment of the original inhabitants of the land on which this building stands but in the face of continued oppression within the US and globally, becomes an enduring symbol of strength and survival. What I try to capture here and something I experienced while with the community is joy, support and solidarity.”
Li-Hill
USEFUL LINKS:
Li-Hill in this blog | Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook fan pahe
Categories: OperArt, Street art
Barbara Picci 