Firelei Báez

In her largest sculptural installation to date, the artist reimagines the archeological ruins of the Sans-Souci Palace in Haiti as though they were revealed in East Boston after the sea receded from the Watershed floor. The Watershed’s location—in a working shipyard and as a trade site and point of entry and home for immigrants over decades—provides a pivotal point of reference. Báez embeds Sans-Souci within the geological layers of Boston, where histories of revolution and independence are integral to the city’s identity. This site-specific installation will invite visitors to traverse passageways and travel through time, engaging with streams of influence and interconnectedness. The work’s intricately painted architectural surfaces include symbols of healing and resistance, patterning drawn from West African indigo printing traditions (later used in the American South), and sea growths native to Caribbean waters. Báez’s sculpture points to the centuries-long exchanges of ideas and influence between Europe, the African continent, and the Americas.

Thu & Fri 10 am – 9 pm
Sat- Sun / Tue – Wed 10 am – 5 pm
Monday closed

The Institute of Contemporary Art
25 Harbor Shore Drive

https://www.icaboston.org/exhibitions/firelei-b%C3%A1ez?utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PR%3AB%C3%A1ezpresspreview&utm_content=version_A&promo=