Exhibited November 3, 2021 to August 24, 2022
Cecile Chong’s installation is based on the myth of the lost treasure of El Dorado.
Over the centuries the story has been told in many ways, often as a metaphor for an ultimate prize that one might spend a lifetime seeking. This installation promotes ideas of transformation, immigration and community.
It honors the opportunities that this city offers to newcomers, but most of all, it acknowledges the labor and efforts that immigrants contribute in return.
Consisting of 100 metallic and brightly-colored sculptures arranged in a circle on the lawn, the sculptures are modeled after tightly swaddled babies, or “guaguas,” that the artist saw while living in Ecuador. Forty-nine sculptures are gold, referring to the 49% of New Yorkers who speak a language other than English at home.
This fifth and final iteration stood on a platform that represents the 17 United Nations sustainability goals.
