Liberty Bell

Commissioned by the Art Production Fund, Liberty Bell is a new public art project by Nancy Baker Cahill in augmented reality, presented simultaneously in nine historically significant locations in six cities in the United States: Boston, MA, Charleston, SC, Philadelphia, PA, Rockaway, NY, Selma, AL, and Washington, DC. Liberty Bell will be on view from July 4, 2020. Sponsored in partnership with 7G Foundation and the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, a project of the Fund for the City of New York, Liberty Bell is an animated, monumental and richly sonorous augmented reality (AR) drawing in 360 degrees. Roughly 15 months in the making, lives at the vibrant intersection of public art, social consciousness and tech. In this polarized and tumultuous election year, many concerns persist around the founding principles of American freedom and democracy. Inequality, structural racism, injustice, and the ability to vote are chief among them. Inspired by the original cracked Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, the drawing hovers beyond viewers, swaying with the rich and layered sound of bells tolling. The Liberty Bell soundscape morphs from the rhythmic lulling of a tolling bell, into a harmonious and dissonant sequence of ringing as it becomes increasingly unpredictable and arrhythmic. Ranging from analog to synthetic, the sounds were compiled from a diverse array of historical moments and locations. The richly textured brushstrokes and bell sounds resemble loosely knitted threads that unravel and come together in an uncomfortable, but cohesive moment. They reflect the evolution and transformation of liberty over time into the complex reality we face today. Baker Cahill chose July 4, known as Independence Day, as a launch date to advocate for justice, civil rights and freedom AR is impermanent, ephemeral, invisible to the naked eye and leaves no environmental trace. It is accessible to a broad audience through the ubiquitous use of smartphones and tablets. Community programming will be organized online and in-person when possible. Programming will include topical conversations by cultural leaders and community members from all 6 cities as they relate to current events. Providing a platform for conversation and access to the artwork is a crucial component of this project. "From its origins in American history, “liberty” was only available to a certain demographic and came at great expense to others. You can’t have a conversation about freedom and not talk about the history of slavery and inequality in the United States. A bell can be a warning or a celebration; something spiritual or a wordless means of communication. In an age of pandemic, surveillance, injustice and disinformation, who is actually free? That’s the conversation we need to have." “We are thrilled to present Liberty Bell in six different US cities this summer. While adhering to social distancing guidelines, it feels crucial to bring this important artwork safely to the public. Through a visual and sonic AR experience, Baker Cahill gives viewers the opportunity to reflect upon their personal experiences of liberty, freedom, injustice and inequality. We are honored to present this poignant work during such a remarkable time.” - Casey Fremont, Executive Director, Art Production Fund. Liberty Bell weaves a common thread between all six cities underscoring our interconnectedness and shared cultural inheritance. These historically significant and charged locations comprise an unprecedented activation spanning the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Boston, MA: Boston Children’s Museum, Boston Cyberarts, Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston Harbor Now; Charleston, SC: Center for Heir’s Property Preservation; Philadelphia, PA: Association for Public Art (aPA); Rockaway, NY: 7G Foundation, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, The Rockaway Hotel, National Parks Service, NYC Parks, New York State Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Rockaway Artists Alliance; Selma, AL: Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church; Selma & Dallas County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Information, Washington, DC: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden BFA, Lisle and Sally Baker, Louise Baker Lee, Sharon Bowers, Phoebe Cole, Jesse Damiani, Justin Diener, Casey Fremont, Leah Fuentes, Saski Globig, Amy Lloyd McCarthy, Kathleen Lynch, Sam Maliszewski, Guy Martin, Gabi Mendoza, Christian Merfeld, Columbus Mitchell, Tyrese Mitchell, Anika Morris, Dakota Peterson, Rebecca Smerling, Jennie L. Stephens, Pastor Leodis Strong, Aaron Sullivan, Brett M. Wadford, Joshua F. Walden, Jeff Wright — BOSTON — On view in Boston above Fort Point Channel on the Harborwalk. Boston was chosen for its role in one of the most complex and formative moments in U.S. history, the Boston Tea Party. Focused on early U.S. history, this location asks us to consider those who were granted rights, those who were excluded, and the subsequent legacy of colonization. Liberty Bell invites viewers to reflect on one of the early struggles for American liberty and independence while questioning how the Boston Tea Party shaped the future of the country, and the contested definition of freedom. In other words, freedom for whom? On site, the AR artwork’s ephemerality illuminates the fragile moment we face as a nation. In this location, accessible to a public audience, Liberty Bell invites viewers the opportunity to consider their own experiences of liberty, freedom and injustice and inequality. The drawing floats over the water of the Channel. Go to Fort Point Channel and head to the middle of the Harborwalk between the Congress and Seaport bridges on either side for best viewing. The drawing floats over the water of the Channel. This site is wheelchair accessible. — CHARLESTON — Photo by Brett Wadford, Charleston On view in Charleston at the Battery near White Point Garden, facing Fort Sumter. Charleston is an ideal location for the project. Colloquially deemed ‘The Holy City’, Charleston is where 40% of U.S. slaves entered the country. "Liberty Bell rings as a powerful reminder of the region’s past, present and future from the promenade just across the street from White Point Garden. The drawing hovers over the ocean with Fort Sumter in sight, the historic location of the first two battles igniting the American Civil War. Today, echoes of the Civil War continue to foment an ideological divide throughout the United States. This location resonates with us as it connects the project to America’s divided past and the lasting effects of slavery. Equally, it embodies our current cleft political and cultural reality, heightened by increased polarization and consequences of inequality." “The Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation is proud to be a local partner on the project. We are a non-profit whose mission is to protect heirs’ property and promote the sustainable use of land to build generational wealth for underserved families. It seems like a perfect time for this public art project as people are questioning the very definition of liberty and justice for all. The core of our mission is simply justice – social, economic and environmental. We believe the American dream needs to be colorblind. The Center has spent the past 15 years advocating for racial equality and our mission will continue into the future demanding justice.” – Dr. Jennie Stephens, CEO, Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation — PHILADELPHIA — Photo by Darian DiCianno/BFA.com courtesy of Art Production Fund, Philadelphia The historic Liberty Bell in Philadelphia seeded the inspiration for this project. Because the Liberty Bell is one of the most widely recognized symbols of American independence and freedom, Philadelphia is an essential location for the artwork. Most historians believe the Liberty Bell was one of many bells that rang on July 8, 1776, a few days following the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In the 1830s, the bell became a symbol for abolitionist societies who called it the “Liberty Bell”, the name we know it by today. As a metaphor, the cracked bell mirrors both the brokenness of many Americans’ current and past experience of liberty and its intended democratic goals. It also reflects an evolution of declared independence into unchecked nationalism of today. Liberty is inextricably linked to equality. The abolitionist origins of Liberty Bell inform the ethos of the project, which acknowledges that the founding fathers fought for the liberty of “men,” while enslaving others. From the steps outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art and on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Best vantage points are from the bottom of the steps and the Oval Park across MLK Drive. Drawing will appear overhead. This viewing location is wheelchair accessible. — SELMA — Photo by Columbus Mitchell, Selma On view in Selma at Songs of Selma Park at the foot of Edmund Pettus Bridge. floats above the Alabama River, best seen from Songs of Selma Park, at the foot of the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge. This location is essential to the project, which aims to address voting rights and the ongoing fight for civil rights. The Songs of Selma Park was selected for its proximity to the Voting Rights Museum, the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. The historic trail marks the three Voting Rights marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 to end discriminatory voting practices targeting Black Americans. The Edmund Pettus bridge is a National Historic Landmark marking the brutal Bloody Sunday beatings of civil rights marchers during the first march. Liberty Bell invites viewers to consider discriminatory practices today that prevent certain Americans from exercising their right to vote, denying access to an established national freedom. The project hopes to provoke an awareness of gerrymandering, hacking, misinformation-- all of which inhibit citizens from exercising their civic rights. — WASHINGTON D.C. — On view in Washington, D.C. above the reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. The drawing is geo-located over the reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. As the capital of the United States, Washington D.C. is a crucial location for the project. Historically declared independence has evolved into unchecked nationalism. In the wake of ongoing police brutality and pandemic, these political and cultural schisms directly affect our rights as American citizens. Recent civil rights protests and the unconstitutional use of federal force illuminate the charged fault lines in the heart of our governing institutions. In D.C., as Liberty Bell sways above the pool, AR shadows are cast over the water. At this site, the abstract drawing evinces the polarization that has allowed for civil war, slavery, and extreme economic inequality. The image creates a literal and metaphorical reflective experience for viewers as they are invited to question the very concept of liberty, and liberty for whom. — ROCKAWAY — The Rockaway Hotel is the official project hub for Liberty Bell in Rockaway, NY. Liberty Bell is on view, as well as a companion AR artwork created exclusively for The Rockaways. The companion drawing is geolocated over the Atlantic Ocean and is visible from Rockaway beach at 108th street, the rooftop of The Rockaway Hotel (opening Summer 2020), as well as along the ruins remaining at Fort Tilden. This particular composition appears as an abstracted wave with a soundscape of a single bell tolling. The Rockaways drawing, thematically connected to the first, considers liberty as it relates to site specific climate change. “The Rockaway Hotel is thrilled to sponsor this dynamic project. We believe that art can be the connective tissue of a community and through our community partnerships we hope to provide new opportunities for cultural enrichment to visitors and locals alike.” - Michi Jigarjian, Partner and Chief Social Impact Officer, The Rockaway Hotel “JBRPC’s commitment to free public art in Jamaica Bay and Rockaway parks has allowed countless visitors to experience unique works of art in our parks since 2013. We are delighted to partner this summer with Art Production Fund and Nancy Baker Cahill on this cutting-edge exhibition. Baker Cahill’s Liberty Bell will allow park visitors to experience an augmented reality artwork, curated specifically for a number of Rockaway parks, and reflect on the natural beauty of these spaces along with accompanying sound,” - Alex Zablocki, Executive Director, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy.