Artist: Genesis Belanger

Genesis Belanger (b. 1978, Massachusetts) transforms City Hall Park into a stage for artworks that play with commonplace park features such as planted gardens, fountains, and public statuary. Wander through the park to find a flock of birds, a wheelbarrow sprouting oversized flowers, three potted fruit trees waiting to be planted among their living counterparts, and two large bronze figures that are modern interpretations of the allegorical Lady Justice. Belanger sculpted many of the works by hand in clay before casting them in resilient materials like bronze and pigmented cement. The sculptures’ color palette ranges from luscious florals to more muted tones that mimic the park’s fountain and traditional monumental sculpture.

Belanger chose the exhibition’s title Heads or Tails to capture a moment of anticipation—reflective of a societal moment on the precipice of great change. Through these four sculptural vignettes, the artist invites viewers to reflect on questions raised in our contemporary moment, such as humanity’s connection to nature, our ability to discern real from fake, and the representation of civic values in our public spaces.

Genesis Belanger: Heads or Tails is curated by Public Art Fund Senior Curator Melanie Kress.