Paradise Parados

Part of the BAM/Robert W. Wilson Public Art Initiative, Paradise Parados is a site-specific, permanent sculpture by Teresita Fernández created for the terrace of BAM Strong, connected to the Harvey Theater. Fabricated from mirror-polished stainless steel, the work reflects the changing light, passersby, and surrounding urban life and tree canopies. The artwork—a winner of the NYC Public Design Commission award for Excellence in Design—consists of meandering, organic forms that reference the ivy-covered brick walls so common throughout Brooklyn. Framing the entrance to a lounge area inside, the artwork becomes a passage and canopy that suggests a draped, proscenium-like entrance, mimicking the undulating curtains that would frame a stage.

Internationally acclaimed conceptual artist Teresita Fernández (born Miami, 1968) has lived and worked in Boerum Hill for more than two decades, just blocks from BAM. ​Fernández’s work is characterized by an interest in self-reflection and conceptual wayfinding. Her immersive, monumental works are inspired by a rethinking of place, as well as by diverse historical and cultural references. Often referencing the natural world, Fernández’s practice emphasizes the connection between location, people, and materials. Her luminous works poetically evoke landscape while also often referencing sociopolitical and historical colonial violence. Fernandez’s work quietly unravels notions of power, visibility, and erasure that prompt an intimate experience for viewers. Fernández is a 2005 MacArthur Foundation Fellow and the recipient of numerous awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA Artist’s Grant, and a Louis Comfort Tiffany Biennial Award. Appointed by President Obama, she is the first Latina to serve on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.

The artist worked with Camber Studio (Brooklyn, NY) to design and fabricate the artwork.