Artwork Turns Hopscotch into a Pathway for Chicagoans to Manifest Their Goals
OUT OF SIGHT, a participatory hopscotch-inspired artwork that aims to engage park patrons through positive visualization and kinetic exchanges, will expand to six parks throughout Chicago.
The project by artist Lawrence Weiner was previously installed at Maggie Daley Park and Walsh Park in 2018. This summer OUT OF SIGHT returns to Maggie Daley Park with a 60-foot version of the installation. The public can also visit the installations at Hamilton Park Cultural Center in Englewood, Julia de Burgos Park in Logan Square, Eugene Field Park in Albany Park, Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown and La Villita Park in Little Village. The ground-based works are installed in central outdoor locations in each park and range in size from 35 to 60 feet long. The artworks employ text in English, Spanish and Mandarin, in response to the ethnic communities in the various neighborhoods.
“The response we have seen in the community to OUT OF SIGHT has been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone somehow innately knows how to interact with the marelle and has something that strikes them as important in their lives to take away,” said Krista Bryski-Richard, Chicago Park District’s Special Events Manager for the Culture, Arts and Nature Department.
OUT OF SIGHT’s core principles and phrases - exuberance, energy, vision, visualization, enlightenment and serendipity - serve as the foundation for the creative process that participants of all ages will experience when they engage with the project. The text-based work, which Weiner refers to as a marelle (the French word for hopscotch), is a bold black and white graphic incorporating the artist’s intelligent and poetic play on words. The piece combines wit and whimsy in a game-like format, encouraging inquiry and exploration through the use of phrases such as: “One Can Only Imagine the Powers That Be,” “The Destination is Straight On,” and “Assuming a Position.”
The installations will be accompanied by additional OUT OF SIGHT activations including educational programming and dynamic performances. The unique talents of local youth and teens in fields including music, dance, theater, spoken word, and visual arts will be showcased.
“A person coming in with whatever situation they find themselves in, the minute they have any thoughts about themselves going FROM HERE TO THERE, they will be able to stand in front of the marelle (French for hopscotch) and realize they first have to imagine themselves doing it, that’s assuming a position,” said the artist, Lawrence Weiner.
Park Locations Through November 2019
*The installations are accessible during park hours.
- Eugene Field Park, 5100 N. Ridgeway Ave. | North of the footbridge
- Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd St. | Front entrance of the Field House
- Julia de Burgos Park, 1805 N. Albany Ave. | Central playground
- La Villita Park, 2800 S. Sacramento Blvd | South of the Performance Grove
- Maggie Daley Park, 337 E. Randolph St. | Adjacent to BP Bridge
- Ping Tom Memorial Park, 1700 S. Wentworth Ave. | East of the Ping Tom Memorial Pagoda
This exhibition was made possible in part by major support from the Chicago Park District’s Public Arts Initiatives and Department of Culture, Arts and Nature, See the Vision, Grab The Vision, Inc., the Department of Special Events and Cultural Affairs (DCASE), and EXPO CHICAGO.
OUT OF SIGHT has previously been installed at The Perez Art Museum, Miami; The National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne; and in the city of Kortrijk, Belgium.
Visit www.outofsight.org or email info@outofsight.org for more information.
The public is invited to share their images of the artwork using the hashtag #OUTOFSIGHTChicago and #NightOutintheParks.