Nicholas O’Brien “Treatment: The Plan For Rain”
Knockdown Center
This event has ended.
Treatment: The Plan for Rain is a project by Nicholas O’Brien that rethinks the NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) stormwater collection program by focusing on soil biodiversity, transparency, maintenance, and its impact on citizens. Through a series of animations and sculptures, artist Nicholas O’Brien questions how the DEP’s plan employs System Engineering principles that often ignore the human element in undertaking large-scale urban infrastructure projects.
The animations in the exhibition render components from the stormwater collection systems, and are overlaid with segments of audio from interviews with various experts as well as DEP officials. The exhibition attempts to shed light on the often opaque decision making that occurs when trying to reshape the city into a more environmentally conscientious place.
Knockdown Center resides within the floodplains around Newtown Creek. Related public programs will offer opportunities for communities directly impacted by DEP’s stormwater collection plan to gain extensive information and engage in dialogue.
Programs:
Sunday, May 20, 3:00pm: Water Toxicity Workshop
Thursday, May 31, 7:00pm: Conversation with Nicholas O’Brien and Margot Walker
Thursday, June 7, 7:00pm: Panel Discussion with architect and urbanist Jillian Crandall, artist Ellie Irons, and engineer Paul Grogan. Moderated by Nicholas O’Brien.
Nicholas O’Brien is a net-based artist, curator, and writer researching Games, Digital Art, and Network Culture. His work has exhibited in Mexico City, Berlin, London, Dublin, Italy, Prague, as well as throughout the US. As a past recipient of a Turbulence.org Commission funded by the NEA his work has also appeared or featured in ARTINFO, The Brooklyn Rail, DIS magazine, Frieze d/e, The Atlantic, and The New York Times. He currently lives in Brooklyn and is Assistant Professor in 3D Design and Game Development at Stevens Institute of Technology.
Media
Schedule
from May 06, 2018 to June 17, 2018