Embedded Files
Ever Evolving NYC
New York City is constantly evolving and changing throughout time. From our natural beginning due to the movment of glaciers and tecontic plates. To the shift towards the worlds melting pot. Within our meltng pot of a city our discourse is constnatly evolving and changing to make a safer and more connected New York. Today we are more connected than ever through our techonology allowing our discourse to really fill the city streets. However, even through our ever evolving city at our core we are and have always been New York.
How I See NYC
How I See NYC
This map shows my view of NYC. For me NYC is just an hour LIRR ride away. However, my family origins reside in New York City. My mother was born and raised in Queens, and my father in Brooklyn through his elementary school years. Through my family connection I have visited all the burrows of NYC hundreds of times. I am excited to soon become an essential part of the future of NYC by becoming an educator for many of the children of the city.
The Sounds on NYC
The Sounds on NYC
New York City is more than what meets the eye, sometimes its important to sit down and just listen to the world around us. Here I have demonstrated just that; after a brief 10 minutes in Bryant Park you learn the city speaks. It speaks through the distant sirens, the honking horns, and the clangs of construction. However, most importantly New York City speaks through its people. The cultural melting pot of New York City means you can hear voices from all around the world in one place. In reality you may be on a train, a bus, the subway and standing next to someone who is different to you in every way, but we all call this city our home so maybe we aren't so different after all.
Learning Through Nature in NYC
Learning Through Nature in NYC
A surprise to many, but under the bustling city of New York nature does still flourish. Once such place where this occurs in abundance is Morning Side Park. Education in STEM can stem from anywhere, and as such a park is no difference. The park can be a place of wonder and whys; why are some flowers blue and other pink, how did the pond form, how old are the trees. As we explore nature we come up with more and more questions by engaging in the natural world around us.
My, Your, Our City – By: Hibba Afza, Alex Glasser, and Anthony Balestra
My, Your, Our City – By: Hibba Afza, Alex Glasser, and Anthony Balestra
There are 2 main components of our piece. The first is the map of Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens that is composed of the word “home” written in dozens of languages. This visually conveys how so many different walks of life are densely packed into New York City which makes it one of the most diverse places in the world. Yet even with our differences, New Yorkers come together in times of happiness, difficulty, and everything in between. This visual representation also highlights the cultural and linguistic diversity that defines New York City. The second component is a collage within an outline of the Statue of Liberty with pictures from the history of New York as well as current events ongoing like protests that are anti-ICE, the events after 9/11, the Knicks championship etc. After laser-printing our map onto the panel, we realized it occupied less space than anticipated. To strengthen the visual impact of the piece, we created a collage representing significant moments in New York City's history and present day. Framing these images within the Statue of Liberty reinforces the city's identity as a symbol of hope, resilience, opportunity, and belonging.
Our interactive component features a light sensor mounted on Mayor Mamdani (Statue of Liberty’s hand). When viewers get close enough and wave, an audio file plays where the word “home” is enunciated in all the languages seen on the map. This brings the piece to life as the words are overlaid onto each other; this personifies the city that never sleeps. While overwhelming to those not calibrated to the madness of the city, it seems ‘normal’ to those who call New York City their home.
Additional elements throughout the panel further reinforce our central message of love and unity. A quote by Theodore Roosevelt appears at the bottom of the piece, emphasizing the strength that comes from New Yorkers standing together. Beneath the collage, we included a hand-drawn bridge to symbolize the physical and emotional connections between the five boroughs, reminding viewers that although each borough has its own identity, they are all part of one larger community.
We also incorporated the iconic LOVE sculpture found at Rockefeller Center in New York, and by coloring it bright red, we created visual contrast and immediately grabbed the viewer's attention. This element in our panel represents friendship and compassion that unite the city.
Furthermore we added the New York City skyline across the panel via stencil and spray paint, serving as a recognizable symbol of the city itself. As one of the world's most iconic skylines, it represents diversity and the countless stories of the people who call New York City home.
Overall, every element added to our piece, like the collage, the language map, and the sketches, portray the same message: New York City is home to many people from many different cultures and backgrounds. This piece represents New York City as a living geography: a place that is not defined only by streets, or the big buildings, but by the people who continually give it meaning. The map composed of the word “home” in 60+ languages shows that New York is not one single home, but many homes layered together through migration, culture, and identity. The Statue of Liberty collage connects the city to ideas of arrival and freedom, while the images of celebrations, protests, and everyday-joy, show that freedom is not passive, instead it is lived, challenged, and celebrated in public space like New York City.
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