Exhibition Preview: Elaine Angelopoulos collects neighborhood narratives

In the wake of the defeated community battle against the Atlantic Yards mega-project, Brooklyn-based artist Elaine Angelopoulos sought to highlight the continued struggle of the residents of Prospect Heights to sustain their neighborhood vitality. As the sports stadium construction continued, Angelopoulous spent months collecting objects and ephemera that symbolized the lives of the residents and chronicled the daily changes they endured to their neighborhood. These objects, along with personal stories of neighborhood change, informed the creation of "When the Ground Breaks".

Each object contained within the piece carries a strong individual story that contributes to the collective narrative of the ongoing struggle between residents and developers over who is to shape the neighborhood's future. By making visible the ongoing community battle to preserve a vibrant neighborhood facing drastic redevelopment, her work communicates hopefulness and cautions against the ongoing exploitation of communities by capital.

Elaine Angelopoulos | When the Ground Breaks | 2011 | mixed media | 114" x 114" x 84"

Elaine Angelopoulos | When the Ground Breaks | 2011 | mixed media | 114" x 114" x 84"