Group X is Back With 6 Cool New Pop-Up Art Installation at the Philadelphia Navy Yard!
Group X is Back With 6 Cool New Pop-Up Art Installation at the Philadelphia Navy Yard!
Group X and the Philadelphia Navy Yard announce its latest secret project, Mystery Island and the Marvelous Occurrence of Spontaneous Art (code name: M.I.M.O.S.A.), a collection of six new temporary works of public art that play with the built environment of Philadelphia’s former League Island. Is a wall just a wall? Is a street just
a street? Is a “yard” just an island?
The Navy Yard invites viewers to discover M.I.M.O.S.A.: six new temporary public art installations created by seven different local and international artists!
The artworks appeared on September 15 at locations across the Navy Yard’s 1,200-acre campus and are now on view today through November 2, 2020. The Navy Yard is open daily to the public from sunrise to sunset.
Following the popular Sea Monsters HERE inflatable art installation with artists Filthy Luker and Pedro Estrellas in 2018 and the interactive tape sculpture Tape Philadelphia: Enter the Cocoon with experimental European arts collective Numen/For Use in 2019, M.I.M.O.S.A. is the third collaborative public art partnership between Group X, a group of Philadelphia-based artists, curators, and organizers whose members are anonymous, and the Navy Yard, the “coolest shipyard in America” and leading model for repurposed military base where 15,000 employees work at 170 companies, surrounded by iconic parks, Complete Streets, and a riverfront greenway. But unlike the previously planned projects, M.I.M.O.S.A…. just appeared: very 2020 of it.
Yes, Group X and the Navy Yard are writing this announcement and organizing this odd situation into a project because it feels like we should and why not, but truthfully we only know as much about M.I.M.O.S.A. as what we learned in the past few days from a Reddit thread about environmentally friendly shipping materials. You can find a screenshot of that now deleted post here. As you’ll see, it appears the works of spontaneous art are from seven acclaimed local and international artists: Liesbet Bussche, DAKU, Justin Favela, Kid Hazo with South Fellini, Reed Bmore, and Raquel Rodrigo. As of the writing of this announcement it’s unclear if the artists even know their work is here, but we’re DM-ing them now.
In the subsequent days from the discovery of that Reddit post, signs appeared next to the new artworks that offered more information on the occurrences themselves. Liesbet Bussche’s “Urban Jewelry / Rusty Love”, we learned, references the history of the naval shipyard and to the many Marines and Sailors who kissed their partner goodbye on the quay before boarding fo their journey. DAKU’s “Ray of Hope” reshapes sunlight into 25 different languages to send one simple yet powerful message. And the hidden work from Philly’s own Kid Hazo and South Fellini hopes to awaken our inner child. You can find more information on all the artworks and their locations at www.navyyard.org/mimosa.
The Navy Yard and Group X welcome visitors of all abilities to explore M.I.M.O.S.A. to help us figure this all out – or at the very least have a nice day enjoying history, architecture, and public art. The six artworks are outdoors and can be viewed from a sidewalk/walkway which are accessible by wheelchair. The Navy Yard is open to the public from sunrise to sunset and is accessible via car, bike, Indego bikeshare, on foot, and Navy Yard Transit.
A few guidelines for visiting the Navy Yard in 2020:
1. Please wear a face covering or mask.
2. Maintain six feet of distance from other visitors you may come across.
3. Visit in the smallest groups possible.
4. Unlike last year, none of these installations are interactive, so please do not touch any of
the artworks.
5. Let us know if you have any ideas about how M.I.M.O.S.A. got here! @NavyYardPhila
@GroupX #MIMOSAnavyyard
