Parsons Fine Arts Students Amplify Bluewolf Offices
Students at Parsons School of Design have long explored the artistic possibilities of defined spaces.
Their next challenge? Creating artwork for the Manhattan offices of Bluewolf, a global business consulting firm.
This month, MFA Fine Art students Tariku Shiferaw and Ryota Sato will showcase projects designed for Bluewolf’s cutting-edge 9,300 square-foot space, located on the north side of Madison Square Park. The exhibition opens with a public reception on Thursday, July 9, 6-8 p.m.
Utilizing a $2,500 scholarship (and an $800 materials budget) from Bluewolf, Shiferaw and Sato were asked to create either a two dimensional work, video work or site-specific three dimensional pieces that took the available exhibition spaces at Bluewolf into consideration. Sato’s project, “Jungle is Massive,” is a series of video works exploring the notion of nature and wilderness, while Shiferaw’s project, “Math, X,” is a series of abstract paintings that challenge systems of visual language.
The students not only benefit financially, but also from first-hand experience in executing a professional commission for a corporate entity.
“Creating work for Bluewolf has been fantastic,” Shiferaw said. “The company has given me a complete artist freedom to make work that is consistent and honest with my own practice. Therefore, while making the work that will be displayed at Bluewolf, I think about the space as any other gallery setting.”
Bluewolf was has been supportive of the students throughout the creative and collaborative process.
“Engagement is at the center of Bluewolf’s business philosophy, and we are proud to partner with The New School and its students to offer an exciting opportunity for fresh inspiration and dialogue across disciplines,” the company said in a statement. “We hope that this scholarship will kindle and sustain innovative conversations as we explore the relationship between art and technology.”