Shrine Projects

This body of work consists of the construction and maintenance of shrines dedicated to specific bodies of water. My process is one of paying consistent attention over time, of growth and accumulation through repeated visits, and engaging the public as much as possible. I intend these pilgrimages to be experiences during which participants are given the opportunity to try out an alternate way of understanding and engaging their immediate surroundings.


Creek and Valley Shrines, September 2011



I created an Elastic City walk in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens. Participants interacted with the park's natural and synthetic living systems as well as its rich mythology as an ash dump and subsequently, the site of the World's Fair. The group used their bodies and found materials to construct personal and communal shrines, functioning as focal points in the landscape. This walk was produced in collaboration with Residency Unlimited.

Documentation can be found here.

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Shrines of the Gowanus Canal, Summer 2011



In a public workshop hosted by Gowanus Studio Space, and in conjunction with the Sea Worthy festival, participants converted a boat into a mobile shrine that travels on the canal. Workshop participants also built miniature shrines to be installed on the banks of the canal. These shrines function as focal points in the landscape, attracting visitors and attention.

You can visit the shrines independently using this map and a canoe, borrowed for free from the Gowanus Dredgers. These are available Saturday afternoons and Wednesday evenings. Hours and directions are included on the map.

I will also lead tours periodically throughout the summer. Email me to sign up for a tour.

Click here for updates and process photos.

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Kilmer Shrines, 2007-2008



For my 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.