Barefoot Island

Barefoot Island is a social sculpture, an abundant oasis of blooming edible plants and public art on a small reclaimed deck that hosts a new project where people can come and pick food for free and engage in community programming at the intersection of social service, movement, and well-being.

How can art function to bring about tangible change in the world? These are concerns I share with my close collaborators Janelle Dunlap, Keif Schleifer, and Kebbi Williams. Barefoot Island advances our individual practices of choreography, architecture, visual art, and music, to have an absolutely clear citation of the people who move us: our community. It feels less like it is about art. The art, in this case, is about a deep belief in the power of human beings to become our best selves, biodiverse, living whole treasures.

Like art, and the river, the work points to restoration, and maybe paradise, it suggests, can be regained as we confront the relationship between humans and our impact on the world. A sound installation of atmospheric rhythms and a pulsating hum—similar to the flow of water—along with artist-led workshops, and research | pedagogy, aim to reflect on how similar we are to water and how it breathes just like we do—if we only decide to listen to it. With Barefoot Island, we set out to provide a solution to the question, how can we consider art, food, and the river as a common right and resource in Fulton County.

Cochran Mill Park
6875 Cochran Mill Rd, Palmetto, GA 30268
Project launch May 21- July 5, 2023

The launch of Barefoot Island is made possible through the Atlanta Contemporary/Nexus Fund Regranting Program, with support from the Andy Warhol Foundation.