Replicate NYC

Multi Media

Time is a value that is given to an object to change its form naturally as it passes. The surface of the things can show evidence of time passing through rust, dust, color, smell, etc. This evidence is like a record of the process that the object went through the time. When I first came to New York, I realized that the elements that make this city so special are a mix of old and new objects. Although this city is a place that never stops innovating, old things and architecture show the process of city development as time passes. I try to connect time to an object, a method that lets me approach the word “replica.” By replicating an old fire hydrant in New York City with diverse casting/redesigning, I could insert the recorded time to the surface of my work objects. By replicating time in my work, it was possible to gain the century-old rust, the scent of the urine from animals, and dust from workers. The casted fire hydrants in this project inspired me to build new interpretations that led me to experiment with the materials and think about their function. The existence of the fire hydrant is a representation of how this city was able to innovate its form for a long time; at the same time, it will be possible to move another positive way since there are fire hydrants all around the city to be safe from fire incidents. Just like how there are old, rusted fire hydrants, there are also newly produced hydrants. The old and new hydrants ratio is like how New York is shaped with old and new buildings/objects. 

For this project, I have utilized 7 different materials: Damaged leather, tape, net, paper, cloth, plastic bottle, and cables. The damaged leather was utilized to emphasize how the objects get old through time. I utilized the tape to cast the surface onto the work. The casted surface transferred the traces of New York throughout decades into this project.  The net represents my interpretation of the fire hydrant. The map of New York is shaped like a grid, so I thought it would be interesting if I could utilize something that represents the shape of New York. The paper utilized in the work represents the endless news and pieces of information in the city. The cloth utilized in the work represents my first impression of New York. Even before I came here, I knew that New York is a fashion city and it is fabulous. The usage of plastic bottles reflects the waste that people produce in the city. Finally, the usage of cables represents my curiosity about future energy usage. Electricity is one of the most reliable types of energy used and in the future. But I always wondered what kind of energy sources would generate the machines and the city to work. The cable reflects my curiosity and imagination about the form of the future.