We will have the pleasure to present the DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art of Dakis Joannou with the famous and monumental installation by artist Nari Ward, Amazing Grace.
Nari Ward (b. 1963, Jamaica) is known for his sculptural installations composed of discarded material collected in his neighborhood. Ward re-contextualizes these found objects in thought-provoking juxtapositions that confront social and political issues surrounding race, poverty, and consumer culture.
Amazing Grace was produced as part of a 1993 residency at The Studio Museum in Harlem in response to the AIDS crisis and drug epidemic of the early 1990s. Ward gathered more than 365 discarded baby strollers—commonly used by the homeless population to transport their belongings—which he bound with twisted fire hoses in an abandoned fire station in Harlem. Echoing through the space was an audio recording of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson’s Amazing Grace. The lyrics speak about redemption and change, generating optimism and a sense of hope. The work has since been recreated at the New Museum, NY and in several locations across Europe. With each change of context, the significance of the work changes as each community associates differently with these found objects.
Nari Ward
Amazing Grace, 1993
290 baby strollers, fire hoses, sound
variable dimensions
DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art
