On August 28th, the Connect Disconnect: A Public Art Experience, a project of the Louisville Metro Government’s Public Art Initiative and the Commission on Public Art, was installed by the river on the Louisville Loop (West of Downtown, East of Portland) between 8th and 12th Streets. This free installation will be up until November 30th for visitors to experience. Parking is available at the public lot at 8th St. and Washington St. or on the street along 10th St. and Rowan St.
This exhibition consists of five separate installations, created by six local artists, illustrating the environment, especially the Ohio River, and the human’s relationship with this environment throughout Louisville’s history. The installations include: Upriver/ Downriver by Mark Reigelmann II, Anthropocene Fossils by Jean Shin, Beneath the Surface by Mary Carothers, River Monument (glomus) by SIMPARCH (Steven Badgett and Matt Lynch), and Field of Vision: A Garden for Others by Jenny Kendler. The River Monument consists of nature’s and man’s debris from the Ohio river, portraying the strength and nature of the river while Beneath the Surface creates a plot of artificial flowers out of porcelain doorknobs to illustrate the river’s clay makeup as well as its forgotten stories. These are merely small insights on two of the art pieces, but each of the five installations is unique in its makeup and overall meaning, reminding us of our environment and our relationship with it.
The exhibition’s unique location forces viewers to explore the Riverfront outside of the popularly known Waterfront area and to enter an environment shared by contrasting man-made structures alongside their nature-made counterparts. This location was selected through recommendations based on the Louisville Public Art Master Plan, an initiative striving to bring public art, and consequently, new life and energy to the city.
These installations are magnificent to see in person, and they bring art to all of the Louisville community to enjoy. Connect Disconnect will be up for another 2 and a half months, so take a stroll by the river and catch it before it’s too late! For more information on this Connect Disconnect, check out this information pamphlet. Follow this link for more information on Louisville’s Public Art news.
Photos by Irena Tran
