A sweeping group exhibition composed entirely of animal sculptures, curated by artist Eric Fischl with Powerhouse Arts’s Eric Shiner, The Ark brings together ninety sculptures and installations in myriad materials. The Ark refers directly to the myth of the Deluge, an event of mythic scale that becomes a metaphor for the present moment, where environmental and social upheaval converge. Throughout the exhibition, animals function as both protagonists and interlocutors. Experienced in the round, in close proximity, and often in monumental scale, the sculptures foster a sense of connection and awe channeled through artists’ eyes. Rather than framing environmental themes through notions of crisis and urgency alone, the exhibition centers on relationships and intimate encounters—the menagerie assembled in The Ark bears witness to forces that threaten our existence while fostering the instinctive human tendency to care for vulnerable beings and acknowledge their unique contributions to our collective life on this planet. 

Originally presented at The Church in Sag Harbor, a historical whaling town, The Ark takes on new resonance in Brooklyn on the Gowanus Canal. Situated in the former “Batcave” on a Superfund site, Powerhouse Arts is shaped by Gowanus’ history of environmental destruction, postindustrial transformation, and contemporary reinvention. This iteration of the exhibition foregrounds questions of environmental stewardship, urban ecosystems, and the evolving relationship between human and nonhuman life within dense metropolitan settings. At Powerhouse Arts—a center for fabrication, material exploration, and technical innovation—these themes are further amplified through the institution’s role as a refuge for creative vision. An artist-curated exhibition, The Ark reflects a range of materiality, technique, and artistic gesture, foregrounding process, creativity, and the labor of artistic production central to the organization’s mission.

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