close
<1 of 10>
Site: Atop a cloud in the sky; Photograph by Andranik Aroutiounian
Site: Atop a cloud in the sky; Photograph by Andranik Aroutiounian<2 of 10>
Site: Downtown in various American cities
Site: Downtown in various American cities<3 of 10>
Site: Lower Earth Orbit
Site: Lower Earth Orbit<4 of 10>
Site: Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Carretera Anapra-Jeronimo (near the U.S. Mexico Border
Site: Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Carretera Anapra-Jeronimo (near the U.S. Mexico Border<5 of 10>
Site: Washington Monument – 2 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20024
Site: Washington Monument – 2 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20024<6 of 10>
Site: Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains located in Southern California
Site: Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains located in Southern California<7 of 10>
Site: Prada Marfa, located 1.4 miles (2.3 km) northwest of Valentine, Texas, just off U.S. Highway 90 (US 90), and about 26 miles (42 km) northwest of the city of Marfa
Site: Prada Marfa, located 1.4 miles (2.3 km) northwest of Valentine, Texas, just off U.S. Highway 90 (US 90), and about 26 miles (42 km) northwest of the city of Marfa<8 of 10>
Detail
Detail<9 of 10>
Detail
Detail<10 of 10>

Impossible Sites: A COVID-19 Artist Relief Award

We’re excited to announce the awardees of Impossible Sites—our 2nd COVID-19 relief award intended to support artists living and working in the U.S. financially impacted by the pandemic. Impossible Sites invited artists to share sketches of ambitious, imaginary, or “impossible” public artworks for existing, unique sites anywhere in the world.

While the pandemic has created many new limitations to daily life, this award asked artists to turn inward through exploring the creative space of ideas for nonviable (site-specific) artworks. Throughout our past, artists have often veered towards the imaginary or nonsensical during extreme times. This project endeavored to encourage dreaming of unfeasible or impractical possibilities as a way to open the door to bold ideas and new visions of our world. Impossible Sites provided an opportunity for artists to experiment, imagine, and create, as well as viewers a chance to experience art during an extreme time of social isolation.

We sought sketches or renderings that depicted an impossible artwork situated within a real, existing location (i.e. the Moon, the Grand Canyon, a grocery store). The artwork could be deemed impossible for any number of reasons identified by the artist. For example, the artwork could have been impossible due to gravity or other natural phenomenon, cost, scale, materials, timeframe, etc.

Out of 89 submissions, Black Cube awarded 5 artists $650 each and presented 2 honorable mentions $300 each. Special thanks to the David and Laura Merage Foundation for supporting this artist relief award. Below are the awarded artist submissions:

ANDRANIK AROUTIOUNIAN, NY  
Archimedes in the Clouds
gold, 600’

Site: Atop a cloud in the sky; Photograph by Andranik Aroutiounian
Site: Atop a cloud in the sky; Photograph by Andranik Aroutiounian

ALEX LUKAS, MA
Untitled (Building-Sized Variable-Message Signs)
marble, embedded LED lights, skyscraper-scale 

Site: Downtown in various American cities
Site: Downtown in various American cities

ADRIAN PIJOAN, NM
Starship Flora: The Everlasting Astrobotanical Conservatory
aluminum, glass, plants, closed ecosystem, 240’ diameter x 150’ high

Site: Lower Earth Orbit
Site: Lower Earth Orbit

HUGO SANTANA, TX 
Archive for the Unconceivable
steel, concrete, glass, wood, 900' x 900' x 900'

Site: Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Carretera Anapra-Jeronimo (near the U.S. Mexico Border
Site: Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Carretera Anapra-Jeronimo (near the U.S. Mexico Border

ERIC MOED, NY
Memory-Go-Round
earth magnets, repurposed merry-go-round, electric components, chopped and screwed merry go round music, 75' x 100' x 60'

Site: Washington Monument – 2 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20024
Site: Washington Monument – 2 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20024

TERRI LLOYD (HONORABLE MENTION), CA 
Pink Buddha Rising
inflatable pink Buddha, blower with L.E.D. lighting, generator for electricity, support armature, guy cable and anchor, 700’

Site: Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains located in Southern California
Site: Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains located in Southern California

SHAMELESS ENTERPRISE (HONORABLE MENTION), CA + NY  
Marfa Plaza
corporate capital, underpaid manual Labor, board approval, 10 million dollars in construction, steel, wood, glass, cement, 250' - 375

Site: Prada Marfa, located 1.4 miles (2.3 km) northwest of Valentine, Texas, just off U.S. Highway 90 (US 90), and about 26 miles (42 km) northwest of the city of Marfa
Site: Prada Marfa, located 1.4 miles (2.3 km) northwest of Valentine, Texas, just off U.S. Highway 90 (US 90), and about 26 miles (42 km) northwest of the city of Marfa
Detail
Detail
Detail
Detail