Artist Statement:
When we face difficulties and seek hope, our first instinct is to look to the sky, an almost instinctive gesture towards something greater. This was the conceptual starting point for our project in the Healing Park on the City of Hope campus in Duarte, California (Cancer Research Center), where the goal was to integrate shade structures that provide a space for rest and reflection for those involved in the life of this center.
The challenge was profound and paradoxical: our purpose was to create shelters that offered shade without blocking the visual connection to the sky, maintaining a sense of shelter while also allowing for openness for those beneath them. Additionally, these structures needed to adapt to California’s climate conditions, offering shade in the summer and a space where sunlight could reach in winter. To achieve this, two sculptural shelters were designed in the shape of a cocoon. Each structure is composed of a series of metallic “leaves” arranged elliptically, which gradually fold to create a perimeter shade over a resting area while simultaneously framing the view of the sky from within, almost like a stadium that draws the gaze upward.
The geometry of these leaves recalls the lush vegetation of The Dream by Henri Rousseau, where natural elements envelop the observer and blend with the landscape. Like in Rousseau’s painting, these forms provide a dreamlike experience, subtly integrating into the park’s environment while simultaneously standing out as visual landmarks within the Healing Park. They invite visitors to enter a space for rest and reflection amidst nature, framing the sky and providing a refuge that adapts to seasonal changes.
This project was commissioned by City of Hope for their “Ted Schwartz Family Hope & Healing Park” under the curatorial direction of Ann Berchtold. The fabrication and installation were carried out by Ignition Arts, LLC.
