Open Water is a participatory public art project about swimming, climate change, and water relationships. The project is primarily based in Red Hook and involves interviews, facilitated site assessments of two tidal water-ways, a community event, and a group open water swim. Through these interactions and events, Open Water will generate alternative criteria for assessing what makes a body of water swimmable or unswimmable and document how climate change and the pandemic have changed the way urban swimmers and residents in a flood zone think about water, urban development, and coastal habitats.

Events:

(Beyond) Swimming

Monday, June 20th 9:30-11:30am*
Brighton Beach 
Meet at waters edge adjacent to the pavilion at the end of Ocean Parkway. Look for the orange umbrella
Subway to W 8th (or walk down the boardwalk from Stillwell)--see map below
RSVP: https://forms.gle/2s3xwMPHSKQSSSge8
*Rain date (or Combined Sewer Overflow event reschedule): Saturday, June 25th 9:30-11:30am

Join us on Monday, June 20th for an equinox “swimability” assessment and (optional) group open water swim at Brighton Beach. 

After two ReCreational encounters along the upper bay at Valentino Park and the lower bay at Brighton beach, we’ve created a community generated assessment emerging from relational signs, ecological observations, stories and memories, and the histories of these shorelines.

The assessment, guided by andrea haenggii and the more-than-human species who live at Brighton Beach, will take place on land and in shallow water. An optional group swim will immediately follow.   

All participants will receive a booklet designed by Aiesha Bennett with instructions for reading shorelines through embodied practices that can be applied to other waterways. 

A Works on Water encounter is designed and facilitated by Atlantic Ocean currents, ancient topography, andrea haenggi, and Nora Almeida. In collaboration with Interference Archive.