About PROJECT ECOPOLIS

Ezra Wube’s PROJECT ECOPOLIS, is a compilation of four short films commissioned by the High Line Network, with support from High Line Art. The work is the second Joint Art Initiative (JAI) commission, a program that explores how Network members can leverage public art to inspire civic discourse and deepen connections among the communities surrounding Network projects.

For PROJECT ECOPOLIS, Wube collaborated with four High Line Network partners—the High Line (New York, NY), Englewood Agro-Eco District (Chicago, IL), Buffalo Bayou (Houston, TX), and Waterfront Park (Seattle, WA)—to produce a short stop-motion film inspired by their site. The artist visited each organization and led its local community of students, older adults, local artists, and park visitors in workshops. The resulting works serve as a joyful portrait of a place: cutouts of cars, people, and animals shift around notable buildings, beloved parks, and major streets. Wube captures the essence of each location and the pressing issues they face, underscoring the power of collective storytelling and prompting reflection on the intricate relationship between people, urban infrastructure, and ecology.

The series of films will tour participating Network sites in 2024 and 2025, serving as a traveling exhibition to inspire conversations, forge connections, and celebrate community resilience.

High Line, New York, NY

Community Involvement

The first JAI explored a model where artists in various cities responded to the same theme, creating unique artist interpretations. This time, a curatorial committee led by High Line Art, and including Buffalo Bayou and Atlanta Beltline staff, wanted to explore how individual communities come together to build a collective piece of art. Starting with the idea of Exquisite Corpse (or cadavre exquis), the team explored a few options before deciding that with logistical, cost and time constraints, a film medium would work best. The overall theme of creating cross-community conversations remained at the core. The curatorial team also grappled with the idea of how parks that may not have finished spaces could participate, and the idea of choosing a film medium allowed more Network members to consider participating. After multiple discussions, the team decided to commission Ezra Wube, who would work with each site to create sections of a collaborative stop-motion film. Ezra’s work, known for its exploration of urban diversity and climate change, was selected for its ability to capture both the unique characteristics of each site and histories through community participation.

In each city, the same set process was used to work with Ezra Wube over a period of five days. The High Line supported all costs related to artist fees, final documentation, and provided overall project management across sites. Each participating site was responsible for the costs tied to the site-specific work required by artist Ezra Wube, as well as production expenses for staging the exhibit and related programming.

Grow Greater Englewood, Chicago, IL

Buffalo Bayou, Houston, TX

Throughout Summer 2023 - Summer 2024, Ezra spent five days at each site, conducting multi-day workshops with community members, staff, park visitors, and others identified by the participating sites. In collaboration with these participants, Ezra developed stop-motion animations on-site, with each group helping to shape the narrative for their section of the film. The collective film will premiere October 10, 2024 and will be shown at various times at participating Network sites, accompanied by site-specific public programs and community engagement activities until December 2025. The exhibitions could be staged either simultaneously or sequentially, depending on the participating sites' preferences.

Four members participated in TBD: Buffalo Bayou Partnership in Houston, Texas, Grow Greater Englewood in Chicago, IL, High Line in New York, NY, and Waterfront Park in Seattle, WA.

Waterfront Park, Seattle, WA

Key Takeaways

By collaborating with local communities, the same tools and processes can manifest in very different ways, showcasing the unique essence of a place. Each site’s participants and setting were different, resulting in distinct films.

This initiative inspired conversations on how urban environments shape, and are shaped by, their evolving histories and inhabitants. Wube's work prompts communities to explore and discuss history, civic engagement, resilience, the built environment and nature.

Juxtaposing the four films together provides a powerful opportunity to encourage dialogue across cities, bringing light to commonalities and differences. The Joint Art Initiative allows for communities to see they are not alone - and that their experiences can resonate and provide lessons across the country.

There is a different ownership of public art that is created by its residents. Just like successful urban design, public art takes new meaning when its viewers see themselves in it. Wube’s collaborative process takes this to another level, emphasizing the importance of the art being both of and for a community.

The process of public art making in collaboration provided a valuable opportunity for professional development within and across Network sites. The Joint Art Initiative provides valuable opportunities for Network project teams to collaborate, share knowledge, and enhance their skills, ultimately strengthening their ability to engage and serve their communities through public programming and curatorial practice

Watch the Films

About Ezra Wube

Originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ezra Wube has lived and worked in New York City for over 20 years. Using painting, collage, small sculptures, and paper cutouts, Wube narrates scenes of daily life from around the world, exploring our relationships to bustling metropolises and the natural world. He explores experiences of mobility, the malleability of time and place, and the dialogical tensions between "here" and "there.”

Artist Website