“Garden of Collective Futures” is a public art project developed by ten members of the EUNIC Cluster New York, featuring artists from ten European countries and the US. The Czech Center New York helped organize and finance the project, and featured Věrka Vybíralová, a Czech visual artist. In a time when the world feels increasingly divided, this artistic exchange between Europe and the US emphasizes the importance of international cultural cooperation. This project was documented by Bruce Bybee.
The project began with a Meet and Greet Reception at the Austrian Cultural Forum New York on Tuesday, June 4th. This event allowed artists, institution representatives, and partners involved in the project to network before beginning their two-week collaboration.
The first Concept Building Workshop took place at the Delegation of Flanders to the USA on June 5th, followed by the second at the Romanian Cultural Institute on June 6th. During these workshops, led by Ukrainian-American artist Misha Tyutyunik, the artists explored the project's essence, associating symbols with the words "garden," "collective," and "future." Each artist sketched their chosen symbols in their respective styles, incorporating personal associations from their heritage countries. These symbols formed the foundation for the design.
The artists then dissected the meanings behind their chosen symbols through dialogue and individual reflection. Under Misha Tyutyunik's creative guidance, a cohesive framework emerged, balancing unity and individuality. Discussions focused on ensuring coherence among sections, with mock-ups and cut-outs aiding the visualization of the final composition.
Mural fabrication began on June 7th and continued until June 18th. The project culminated in a joyous celebration on June 20th at The Standard, East Village, where the mural is displayed.
The garden at The Standard, East Village serves as a potent metaphor for collective aspirations and cultural diversity. Each artist's contribution enriches the mural's tapestry, testifying to individual expression and shared visions for a prosperous and peaceful future.
The entire process was documented by Bruce Bybee of the Czech Center New York. Enjoy a selection of photos in the gallery above.
Participating EUNIC Cluster New York members:
Austria (Austrian Cultural Forum New York) - Germany (Goethe Institute New York) - Ukraine (Ukrainian Institute of America) - Czech Republic (Czech Center New York) - Estonia (Consulate-General of Estonia in New York) - Lithuania (Consulate-General of Lithuania in New York) - Poland (Polish Cultural Center New York) - Hungary (Liszt Institute New York) - Belgium (Flanders) (Delegation of Flanders to the US) - Romania (Romanian Cultural Institute New York).
Participating artists:
Rob Anderson is a visual artist from Queens, NYC, with Hungarian roots. Known for large-scale murals and international community painting events, community work is at the core of Rob’s art. He began with volunteer summer art classes and mural workshops, leading to artist residencies with public schools where he taught art and created several murals with students. His interactive paint-by-numbers project “Kittizens” has been featured internationally, welcoming thousands of participants.
Riivo Kruuk works in oils and spray paint, exploring Estonian folklore and traditional clothing fused with contemporary motifs and pop culture. Painting both indoors and outdoors on buildings, Riivo adorns his figures with embroidery-like and graffiti tag-like designs. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2020, focusing on painting.
David Leitner is a visual artist from Austria whose works are inspired by cultural diversity and contemporary issues, reacting to their immediate surroundings. Using found-footage photographs or AI prompts, his paintings conclude in a contemporary context, often leaning towards surrealism. Errors and mistakes become focal points in his work. He has painted over 30 public buildings and exhibited on three continents.
Julius Ludavičius is a Lithuanian painter based in New York. A graduate of Vilnius Academy of Arts and Hunter College, his work combines semi-abstract and mural-sized paintings on non-traditional canvases with complex, irregular shapes. His pieces blend abstract structures with detailed representational elements, inviting multiple narratives and interpretations. His works are in private collections in New York, Los Angeles, and Lithuania.
Radu Pandele is a visual artist from Bucharest, Romania, working in painting, muralism, sculpture, mixed media installations, and digital art. His murals can be seen in several cities in Romania and Europe, including Berlin, Monte Gordo, Bialystok, Grenoble, and Briançon.
Jan Deejoohcee Rosius is a visual artist from Belgium (Flanders) with deep roots in graffiti and street art. With over 25 years of experience, he blends elements of raw graffiti culture with modern contemporary art techniques.
Rosa Sarholz examines how language operates in the public sphere through text and large-scale installations. She graduated from Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Germany, as a Meisterschülerin of Rita McBride and holds an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA.
Asia Sztencel (b. Łódź, Poland) is a Brooklyn-based conceptual artist whose socially engaged practice is based on researching the experiences of immigrants in local communities and their relationship to the memory of a place. Through painting, traditional craft, and multimedia, Sztencel’s interactive practice offers a personal exploration of exile and longing within the broader narratives of displacement and immigration.
Misha Tyutyunik is a Ukrainian-born artist based in Brooklyn, New York. Working in various mediums, he creates public art with communities locally and abroad and is regularly commissioned to paint and illustrate for collectors, brands, and publications.
Věrka Vybíralová is a progressive Czech artist who pioneered a new technique called “dynamic quick-sketching.” Her primary focus is figure-drawing, mostly in the form of comics. She also works as an illustrator for the Czech magazine “Reflex.”
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