The Statue of Liberty symbolizes the freedom and diversity of America that has welcomed generations of immigrants and refugees. However, many people do not know that French sculptor Bartholdi modeled Lady Liberty on the design of an Arab woman sculpture, which was rejected by another project. Made Elsewhere is a large-scale sculpture of the Arab woman design by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi as an ode to the struggles of refugees and immigrants in the United States. It uses intentionally recycled and repurposed materials including flags to represent the experience and labor of the refugees. The multiple meanings of using discarded materials provide a direct relevance to issues of immigration and globalization.
About the Artist: Ngoc-Tran Vu is a 1.5-generation Vietnamese American multimedia and transnational artist whose practice draws from her experience as a community organizer and healer. She was born in Vietnam and grew up in Dorchester where she currently calls home. Tran received her MA in Arts and Politics at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and her BA in Ethnic Studies and Visual Arts at Brown University. Tran facilitates workshops on the storytelling, digital activism, and Vietnamese healing ceremonies.
Directions: The Pao Arts Center is located in the One Greenway building, 99 Kneeland Street. For GPS driving directions, use 66 Hudson Street, Boston, MA 02111. From Hudson Street, walk up the stairs and across the deck to the 99 Albany Street entrance. The public parking garage entrance is on Hudson Street. The Pao Arts Center is accessible by the MBTA green, red, and orange lines.
Contact: Cynthia Woo | 617-863-9080