The Built / Unbuilt Square
(2017) Site-specific installation. Modified coin operated binoculars, steel, cement, aluminum, I-pads, optics, augmented reality software, high-capacity battery packs, black paint, wood, glass, Rittenhouse Square.
The Built/Unbuilt Square provides a window into Rittenhouse Square's historical landscape, implementing conventional optics and augmented reality technology. Passersby are invited to look into a pair of viewfinders, traditionally placed on the edge of important monumental vistas, facing inward toward the center of the park. Captured in the frame of each viewfinder, the park can be seen in its present form, layered with archival images of historical gatherings, renderings of constructed and proposed structures from past eras, and animations conveying the square’s vitality and mythos. Users can visually navigate their surroundings by shifting the angle of the viewfinder. The Built/Unbuilt Square attempts to collect the layered stories, fragments, and numerous evolutions of the park into a single visual and tactile experience. For information about the curatorial vision and other artworks visit the Monument Lab website.