Artist Amanda Martínez started with the word “cercado,” which can mean a ring, a fence or an enclosure. Thinking about those words, she wanted to create a piece that could be entered as well as explored from the outside. She also drew on her family’s heritage in southern New Mexico where her grandfather grew up in an adobe house.
Accessibility was also deeply important to Martínez in her work. As an autistic artist and as a member of the disabled community, she wanted to create a welcoming place for all. She aligned the sculpture directly against the pavement, and the horticulture team will install mesh on the grass to add extra traction for wheelchair users who visit.
Wrapped in branches, some sourced from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden itself, the sculpture will serve as a sensory space of quietude for all who enter.
