Washing Bear
Audio Walk at Central Park, NYC
Participants embark on an audio journey through Central Park at night, uncovering the often-overlooked natural and human-made features hidden in the darkness. As night falls, they follow a winding path into the heart of the park, encountering its urban wildlife along the way. The journey culminates in a meeting with one of the park’s most intelligent tree-dwelling residents—the Common Raccoon.
Throughout the walk, participants will explore the perceptions and realities of nature in cities, focusing in on the story of raccoons in particular, to acknowledge how their nature has adapted and changed through their relationship with humans. The participants’ movement is choreographed through sounds and narration to create an immersive psychological landscape. The audience is drawn to moments of delight and wonder, so that they will reevaluate their preconceptions of the urban habitat.






Medium:
Audio Walk
Duration:
45 Minutes
Year:
2018
Exhibition:
Synanthrope Preserve: Washing Bear
Collaboration:
Jessica Scott-Dutcher
Support:
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Culture & Animals Foundation
Project Website:
Related press:
CityLab, The Atlantic, Night of the Living Synanthropes
Galeria Haaretz Arts & Leisure (front page), Friend Request
Pacific Standard Magazine, Finding a Wildlife Refuge in the Heart of New York City
NYU Alumni Magazine, Melding Science and Art
A Way with Words - Synanthrope
NYFA Current, Interview