Kilmer Shrines




For my 2008 thesis project at Rutgers University, I built shrines dedicated to a network of storm drains in Piscataway, New Jersey. These drains flow into the Raritan River and from there into the Atlantic Ocean. There were six main shrines and several minor ones. I invited viewers to visit the shrines, either independently or on guided walking tours.

The tour focuses on the overlay of geography, ecology, history, and technology onto present day land use. In addition to the shrines and the waterways to which they are dedicated, the tour includes hidden remnants of university infrastructure, the former site of the Mason Gross sculpture department, and landmarks of Camp Kilmer, a military base during World War II and the Korean War.

For more information, please view the project website: www.kilmershrines.com.