Swell

The Open Source Gallery's latest exhibition is Francesco Simeti's installation Swell:

Adopting a DIY aesthetic, Simeti takes inspiration from puppet theater and Baroque mechanical automata, which combined an awe of nature with an affinity for artifice, to explore the social, cultural and historical significance of Brooklyn waterways. Combining the installation with workshops, collaborative projects and partnerships with local organizations, Swell engages with the consequences of human activity on a local level, depicting nature as both a playground and a battle zone, and encourages action. Visitors are invited to explore different avenues of inquiry, taking time for self-reflection while simultaneously connecting with their community and its history.

Collaboration includes work with the nearby Brooklyn Urban Garden School, and student projects will be exhibited at the Gowanus Canal Conservancy on June 3rd.  The exhibition runs through May 27.  Other work of Simeti's can still be seen locally at the Fourth Avenue subway station (9th to 10th Streets), brightening the windows of the station's still empty, half-renovated stores with scenes of native flora and fauna.

Open Source Gallery is at 306 17th Street, just off Sixth Avenue.