Client: Alliance Residential

Overview

Commission by the developer of a $45 million apartment complex, I collaborated with artist Muriente and Architect Marco Casagrande in creating this CityZen Garden which ultimately includes three of my Dudali sculptures to bring a sense of relaxation to complete the atmosphere. The park includes features meant to engage all of our senses, touch, auditory, sight, taste and smell which are dispatched throughout the park in distinct areas. Over 30.000 square feet, it includes an amphitheater for 100 spectators, a tiny fountain, glass rocks, a sunroof and tables for visitors to enjoy their lunch, fruit trees as well as several clove trees, bamboo to muffle the sound of nearby traffic and an inspirational poem written by Muriente. Our total budget was $450,000, which is 1% of the cost of the building, but understanding the added value of our installation to his property, the developer decided to nearly double our budget.

Goals

My three humanoid Dudali sculptures are meant to highlight the quietness of the place as well as suggesting the activities to take place within CityZen Garden. Their presence plays a strong role in greeting visitors and residents to use the space. The added value to the property far exceeds the original investment by the developer who two years after completing the project was able to sell his property for over twice the original investment, from 52 million $ to 115 million $.

Process

The project was designed in collaboration with the architect of the building and the developer before any plan had been submitted to the city which allowed us to flawlessly integrate our concept within the building. The developer had never worked with artists before which at first made our relationship a little awkward, but soon enough our team’s experience in the arts as well as Marco’s and Muriente’s in architecture and her ability in reading through municipal codes was able to comfort him and we quickly gained a strong and mutual understanding of each other for a complete osmosis in our collaboration.

Additional Information

CitiZen garden has three sections, each of which exhibiting one of my Dudali sculptures. They are made of copper reinforced with rebar and each was sunk into a block of concrete as to insure its stability. Their dimensions are approximately 10 feet tall x 7 feet wide and 5 deep.