The Aronson Gallery at Parsons School of Design is proud to present “In Plain View: Transforming Freshkills from Landfill to Landscape,” an exhibition that captures the extraordinary ecological transformation of Staten Island’s Fresh Kills landfill into a thriving public park. Once the world’s largest landfill, Freshkills is now undergoing a profound rewilding process, creating one of New York City’s largest green spaces, three times the size of Central Park.

This multidisciplinary exhibition explores the intersection of art, ecology, and technology, reflecting on the site’s layered history and envisioning its future. From playful interventions and dystopian meditations to utopian visions of renewal, the works on display invite visitors to confront critical environmental questions: How do we honor a site’s past lives while embracing its potential for ecological and social regeneration? Where does New York City's waste go now, and how can we envision a sustainable future for spaces once deemed irredeemable?

Featured Artists and Contributors:
The exhibition includes work and proposals by a diverse group of artists and designers, including Markley Boyer, Natalie Conn, the Dufala Brothers, sTo Len, Jen Liu, Mary Mattingly, Lize Mogel, Nancy Novacek, Antonio Serna, Andrew Shea, Audrey Snyder & Joe Riley, and Mare Liberum. Photographic contributions by Jo Cavallo, Shannon Curley, Michael Falco, Michael McWeeney, and Mona Miri further enrich the narrative of Freshkills’ transformation.

About the Exhibition’s Origins:
The exhibition is a collaborative initiative developed by Sound the Mound, a project by John Roach and Andrew Shea of Parsons School of Design, in partnership with Freshkills Park: Field R/D. Supported by an Ideas that Matter grant from Sappi, the project combines art, education, and technology to address human-made environmental challenges, fostering public engagement and action for ecological regeneration.

Curatorial Team:
The exhibition is curated by Caroline Dionne, John Roach, and Andrew Shea of Sound the Mound; Mariel Villeré and Dylan Gauthier of Freshkills Park: Field R/D; and students from the Parsons course “Curating Design at the Intersection of Art, Ecology, and Technology.”

Acknowledgments:
Special thanks to the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center, The New School Collaboratory, and the Making Center for their invaluable support, as well as the many students and research assistants who contributed to the project’s development.

Join the Conversation:
Through the lens of Freshkills Park, “In Plain View” invites visitors to reflect on the environmental challenges of our time and the possibilities for a sustainable future. Follow the exhibition on Instagram at @InPlainView_Freshkills or visit www.inplainview.nyc for more information.