SculptureCenter is pleased to present Meridian (Gold), a temporary public art project by Mika Tajima. The installation will be located in Hunter's Point South Park in Long Island City and will be on view from June 9 through September 25.

Meridian (Gold) is an illuminated plume of water vapor whose color shifts between magenta and pale cyan. The color of the vapor corresponds in real-time to the global sentiment for gold, reflected in the price fluctuation of the commodity. Gold is a peculiar material that derives its value from the social perception of its qualities and collective "moods" toward geopolitical and economic events. The framing structure for Meridian (Gold) is a seating zone that references communal rejuvenation spas and here becomes a site to reflect on the fleeting materiality of contemporary life. The project was selected by participants in Public Process, SculptureCenter's intensive program for high school students that uses New York City's rich public art landscape to explore the history and impact of public art and its community influence.

Hunter's Point South Park is a waterfront park that was until recently an abandoned post-industrial area. Transformed into a space that offers fun and relaxation to locals and visitors alike, the park includes a central green, playground, dog run, bikeway, waterside promenade and ferry stop, basketball court, and a 13,000 square foot pavilion that contains comfort stations, concessions, and an elevated cafe plaza. Click here for directions.

Public Process is an intensive program for high school students that uses New York City's rich public art landscape to explore the history and impact of public art and its community influence. In July 2015, eight high school students participated in a two-week course providing interactions and presentations by seasoned professional curators, architects, local historians, and public art organization representatives, and opportunities to visit public art sites. Three artists were invited to make proposals for a public artwork in Long Island City and presented them to the students in their studios. On the last day of the course, the students made presentations and debated the proposals, ultimately selecting Tajima's project for the commission.

The project is curated by SculptureCenter Executive Director and Chief Curator, Mary Ceruti.

Mika Tajima's (born 1975, Los Angeles, California, USA; lives and works in Brooklyn, NY) work explores the way that the built environment shapes the body and our activities. She earned a BA from Bryn Mawr College (1997), an MFA from Columbia University (2003), and attended The Fabric Workshop and Museum Apprentice Training Program (2003). Her extensive exhibition history of solo and group shows includes many prominent national and international venues, including 11R, New York, NY; Taro Nasu, Tokyo, Japan; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA; The Kitchen, New York, NY; Tensta Konsthall, Stockholm; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA; and Bass Museum, Miami, FL; among others. Her collaborative work has been featured at the Centre Pompidou, Paris; South London Gallery, London; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco; and in the Whitney Biennial, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. Tajima has been profiled since 2011 on New York Close Up, an Art21 documentary film series dedicated to emerging artists who live and work in New York City. Tajima is also part of the music-based performance group New Humans.