INCARNATION CHILDREN'S CENTER
JOSÉ PARLÁ
CITY/STATE
New York, NY
LOCATION IN HOSPITAL
Multiple Living Spaces
INSTALL DATE
2015
JUMP TO
ABOUT THE INSTALLATION
In 2015, RxART worked with the artist José Parlá to transform the most used living spaces of the Incarnation Children’s Center (ICC), which was located in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan. Parlá, known for his vibrant and engaging work and large-scale public installations, created a series of original wall coverings for the ICC’s dining room, main residence hallway, and multipurpose room. He also worked directly on a brick wall of the ICC’s outdoor roof deck, bringing it to life with waves of color and calligraphy.
“This world needs more people coming together and collaborating with a purpose to make the world better, healthier, and safer,” said Parlá at the time of the installation unveiling. “Our collaboration is coming from the heart and it is filled with love. Our purpose is to spread that feeling and share in creating a new, good, bright, and colorful space for the young folks and staff at Incarnation.”
This project was made possible through the generous support of Kiehl’s Since 1851.
ABOUT THE HOSPITAL
Incarnation Children’s Center (ICC) is New York City’s only pediatric skilled nursing facility exclusively offering specialized care for children and adolescents living with HIV/AIDS. ICC provides a nurturing home environment to approximately 20 children and young adults at a time.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
José Parlá (b. 1973, Miami, FL) is a critically acclaimed, multidisciplinary artist working in painting, large-scale murals, photography, video, and sculpture. He started painting walls in Miami’s underground art scene of the early 1980s and went to study at Miami Dade Community College, New World School of the Arts, and the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Parlá’s work has been exhibited at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; Istanbul’74, Istanbul; the SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, GA; the Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY; and the Havana Biennial, Havana; among others. Parlá’s work is in several public collections including the British Museum, London; Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo, NY; POLA Museum of Art, Hakone, Japan; and the National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana.
