An Indicating Cycle
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2026
Wood, steel, laser-etching
8.3 H x 6.3 W x 6.3 D ft (2,5 x 1,9 x 1,9 m)
Public art project commissioned by NYC DOT (Department of Transportation)
"An Indicating Cycle" functions as an interactive sculptural book, highlighting different indicator species who reflect the current environmental health due to their sensitivity to climate change. These species are specific to the water and stream habitats between the Genesee and Hudson River in New York State. The sculptural form implies the cyclical nature of symbiotic relationships, of a woven ecosystem, and no beginning or ending, only a continuous present. Each page’s sectional framing and cutout panels resemble a composite image sheet of figures and diagrams in scientific reference textbooks, or compartmentalized specimen drawers in museum collections. Flipping through the carved pages, seeing other readers and the surroundings appearing from the open cavities, the book overlaps people amongst the flora and fauna imagery, suggesting a repositioning of our role from passive viewers to becoming an indicator species ourselves. This realigning outlook aims to be a reminder that our health and well-being are ever entwined with our ecological conditions, and reflects the needs for us to participate in the process of care and stewardship of our environment.
