June 13, 2023
Archinect News: Harlem Grown and BRANDT : HAFERD's 'Sankofa' will take over Marcus Garvey Park this summer
A new public art installation will kick off the Mellon Foundation-funded Culture, Creativity, & Care Initiative in Harlem this summer with an engaging reflection of the history of Marcus Garvey Park and the cultural craft traditions of the various communities which surround it.
Friday, June 16th, will mark the grand opening of “Sankofa,” a circular 32-foot structure that serves as an art gallery and public gathering space for residents of the neighborhood who will meet underneath its mesh fabric canopy’s complex composition print.
The project was initiated by the Black-led artists collective, Harlem Grown, and Jerome Haferd of BRANDT : HAFERD. The design team describes:
“‘Sankofa’ is the first outdoor hub to be unveiled as part of the initiative. ‘Sankofa’ derives from the Akan African folklore, symbolizing remembrance of things forgotten, and means ‘in order to know our future we must look to our past’. The installation is a new design inspired by centuries of tradition and will host a range of events and art that celebrate the rich histories of Harlem’s communities while showcasing fresh interpretations of those ideas.”