In the Works
Done in collaboration with Yeju Choi as Yeju & Chat
2024
Steel scaffolding, plywood, lumber, latex paint, foam, plastic trash cans, debris netting, wire mesh, plastic fencing, climbing net, duct tape, zip ties, acrylic sheets
47' x 32' x 14'
Brooklyn, NY
In the Works is a site-specific art installation at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. The project reimagines scaffolding, one of the most ubiquitous yet often overlooked structures in New York City, as a dynamic, multi-level play space. By bringing this familiar element of the urban streetscape into the gallery, In the Works transforms it from a symbol of ongoing construction, a restricted area, and a nuisance, into an interactive experience that invites curiosity, exploration, and play.
The piece is a maze-like structure that includes platforms, stairs, a climbing wall, hanging nets, a lifting net “hammock,” a debris chute “slide,” a pulley system, a chute for foam blocks, and green plywood walls with windows like the sidewalk shed, with a ramp all around for accessibility. It uses and repurposes everyday construction visual languages and materials such as plywood, debris mesh, safety fences, nets, duct tape, safety tape, zip ties, and various steel hardware in addition to the scaffolding, yet still resulting in a visually and structurally interesting piece of installation.
The title, In the Works, reflects the dual nature of scaffolding as a structure associated with projects in progress and the participatory design of the installation itself. Visitors can engage with the materials and mechanics that are typically off-limits, experiencing it not as a barrier but as a space for discovery, imagination, and connection. The piece is designed to evolve over time through public programming such as “street art” activities where children are encouraged to make their marks on the structure.
In the Works presents our everyday built environment in a new light. Through tactile and immersive engagement with the structure itself, it encourages visitors of all ages to become aware of what’s around us, how we move through them, and the possibilities of transformation and joy.
Engineering:
HEINI
Construction:
HEINI, Filip Birkner, Chris Fox
