BAM Bike Park

Overview

Inaugurating the Brooklyn Academy of Music's BAM Bike Park at 31 Lafayette Avenue, acclaimed artist KAWS created a monumental, site-specific mural as the maiden commission for a new rotating public art platform. Designed to animate a previously vacant municipal lot in the heart of the BAM Cultural District, the temporary structure employed an innovative, low-impact architectural design—utilizing precast footings, standard scaffolding, and billboard panels—to bring vibrant contemporary art into the daily flow of Brooklyn's urban landscape.

Project Context & Curatorial Role

As part of the Commissioning Team during my tenure at BAM, I led artist selection and contributed to the site strategy and organizational execution for this high-profile public art installation, launching a long-term venue for rotating visual art commissions.

Situated on a city-owned lot, the temporary art wall was specifically engineered to tread lightly on its site. By deploying standard scaffolding components, precast footings, and billboard-style paneling, the project transformed an underutilized space into an active community hub and bicycle amenity with minimal site disturbance.

The mural offered passersby, commuters, and arts patrons a direct encounter with KAWS’ bold, graphic visual lexicon. Serving as the anchor for the BAM Bike Park for nearly a decade, the work established a dynamic dialogue between visual art, public transit infrastructure, and Brooklyn's civic realm.

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Role: Commissioning Team
Date: August 2013—May 2023
Location: 31 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

Artist: KAWS