We recently explored the outdoor sculpture exhibit Presidio Habitats. Stretches of national park trails meander by works of nature-inspired art and the several hour walk takes you through fragments of forest, along the coastline, and to bits of the Presidio you probably never knew existed. You’ll get a good look at how the park’s present and past species make their home amid a jumble of open space and military leftovers.
The exhibit runs from May 16, 2010 until May 15, 2011. For more information visit the Presidio Habitats website.
"Where is the Hare?" by Nathan Lynch (1a). "To highlight the absence of the Black-tailed Jackrabbit (aka the Desert Hare) from the Presidio, and to lure it back to the park, artist Nathan Lynch offers an imaginary footrace intended to appeal to the hare’s mythologically well-documented sense of pride in its own dexterity and speed. The local indigenous competitor is the Western Pond Turtle, a one-time Presidio resident that is part of the same super-family as tortoises." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Patience" by Jensen Architects (2). "Ten solitary chairs located in and around the Fort Scott Parade Ground have a focus and relationship to the site through the height of their seat, orientation, placement, and proximity to the other chairs. An observer who sits in a chair experiences the phenomenon that informed its placement." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
Map of the Presidio Habitat walk and installations. Map courtesy of the NPS.
"Western Screech-Owl Habitats" by Ai Weiwei (3). "A classical Chinese vessel transformed into a living environment for the Western Screech-Owl. The porcelain vessels were produced in China using the age-old techniques of China’s imperial kilns. Each vessel features a unique, hand-painted blue-and-white design, evoking the Presidio’s Pacific Rim orientation, San Francisco’s Chinese heritage, and the transmission and transformation of culture through trade." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Western Screech-Owl Habitats" by Ai Weiwei (3)."Although the Western screech-owl is one of the most common owls in low-elevation woodlands and deserts, this species has not been observed in San Francisco for almost a decade." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Owl Dome" by Taalman Koch Architecture (4). "Owl Dome simulates the type of nest that an owl might occupy within a tree trunk. An aperture allows the owl to enter and nest within the dome, and at a height of sixteen feet, affords protection from predators and serves as an ideal hunting platform for its resident. The hemp rope wrapped around the tripod support is designed to provide an easy grip for fledgling owls." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Where is the Hare?" by Nathan Lynch (1b). Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
Opposite the "Finish" exhibit lies the Pacific Ocean. Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"A Habitat of Flight" by Surface Design, Inc (5)."The habitat of the Red-tailed Hawk is a dynamic system, consisting of forest, clearing, and edge. Rendered in sculptural form as a sinuous line of flat bar steel, A Habitat of Flight celebrates the complex structure of the Red-tailed Hawk’s mating, hunting, nesting, and flying behaviors." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Sculpture Habitat for the Gray Fox" by CEBRA (6). Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Sculpture Habitat for the Gray Fox" by CEBRA (6). "This minimalist sculpture evokes a range of mountain peaks and valleys, or perhaps fox ears. The work consists of more than 350 stacked, interlocking wood components and a central cavity or fox den. This sculpture habitat was assembled from surplus Presidio cypress removed as part of the Presidio Trust’s reforestation program and milled in the park." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Winged Wisdom" by Philippe Becker Design (7). "The American robin holds an archetypal place in the American psyche. It is an enduring and adaptable bird and, as such, its behavior or “wisdom” offers humans lessons about our relationship with the earth and with each other. Winged Wisdom presents three meditative aphorisms that describe robin behavior. Each letter—framed with a steel armature and mesh netting—is filled with sterile straw, providing ideal nesting material for the robin while affording human passersby an unexpected and mindful provocation." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
Opposite from the phrase "Resolve conflict with song" lies the San Francisco National Cemetery. Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Winged Wisdom" by Philippe Becker Design (7). Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
The phrase reads "Nest from the inside out" by Philippe Becker Design (7). Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Winged Defense" by Mark Dion with Nitin Jayaswal (9)."Consuming vast amounts of mosquitoes and other biting insects, bats are the first line of defense against parasitic disease carriers. The bottom of the Winged Defense bat house is open, allowing the bats to enter and exit. Internal wood walls spaced at three-quarter-inch intervals provide the bats with customized spaces for roosting." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Pollen Balls Project" by Amy Lambert (10). "Small, inconspicuous digger bees often go unnoticed, unlike the familiar honey bee and the bumblebee, which is instantly recognizable from the sound it emits. In contrast to social bees that live together in colonies, these solitary bees dig a small network of tunnels beneath the ground. At the end of each tunnel, they place one egg and pollen, often shaped like a ball, for the developing bee. Artist and biologist Amy Lambert has generated data on the bees in the Presidio." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Pollen Balls Project" by Amy Lambert (10). Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
"Animal Estates Snag Tower" by Fritz Haeg (11). "The Animal Estates Snag Tower is a prototype for a collective model home designed to accommodate six animal clients that would otherwise live in a snag, or standing dead tree, in the park. The structure features interior nesting cavities for the Pygmy Nuthatch and Bumblebee, a cantilevered perch for the Black Phoebe, louvered crevices for the Yuma Myotis bat, cover logs for the California Slender Salamander, and a hibernaculum or winter residence for the Coast Garter Snake." Photo by Victoria Schlesinger, Way Out West.
Happy Thanksgiving from Way Out West.
[...] few weeks ago, we explored the Wonderlandesque outdoor art exhibit, Presidio Habitats, sprinkled along walking trails in the park. To help nascent artists [...]