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’

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

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

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

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'

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’

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