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  • Ai Weiwei, <em>Western Screech Owl Habitats</em>, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
  • Jensen Architects, <em>Patience</em>, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
  • becker-winged-wisdom
  • Nathan Lynch, <em>Where Is the Hare?</em>, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
  • Surface Design, Inc., <em>A Habitat of Flight</em>, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
Past

Presidio Habitats

May 16, 2010 – May 15, 2011 at Presidio of San Francisco

Presidio Habitats was the first site-based art exhibition conceived for a national park. An international group of artists, architects, and design specialists were invited to submit habitat proposals for specific animal residents of the Presidio. From the 25 submissions received, 11 were selected as commission projects to be fabricated and installed in the Presidio landscape. The projects were situated in the Fort Scott District of the park with dramatic views of the Golden Gate. An indoor exhibition in a pavilion designed by Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects provided background and context for the project, and presented all 25 of the submissions received.

The projects on view in the landscape were diverse in approach, material, and purpose. They ranged from a set of elegant blue-and-white glazed porcelain vessels conceived as habitats for the western screech owl by renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, to a conceptual reintroduction of the extirpated desert hare to the Presidio through Nathan Lynch’s reimagining of Aesop’s hare and tortoise race.

Visitors on self-guided walks were invited to experience the habitat installations as well as explore the Presidio’s diverse landscapes — historic forests, a community garden and nursery, stunning vistas overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate, stately historic neighborhoods, and a hidden creek.

In addition to the artist commissions listed below, proposals were presented by Jeffrey Berkus Architects, CMG Landscape Architecture, Topher Delaney, Design Ecology, Amy Franceschini with ALITE Designs, Anya Gallaccio, Fritz Haeg, Walter Hood, Michelle Kaufmann, Rigo 23, John Roloff, SIMPARCH with Deborah Stratman, Mark Thompson, and Bruce Tomb and David Tomb.

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Featured Works

  • Western Screech Owl Habitats (installation view)
    Ai WeiweiWestern Screech Owl Habitats
  • Philippe Becker Design, Winged Wisdom, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Philippe Becker DesignWinged Wisdom
  • Sculpture Habitat for the Gray Fox (installation view)
    CEBRASculpture Habitat for the Gray Fox
  • Habitat for Anna’s Hummingbird (installation view)
    Chadwick StudioHabitat for Anna's Hummingbird
  • Winged Defense (installation view)
    Mark Dion with Nitin JayaswalWinged Defense
  • Animal Estates Snag Tower
    Fritz HaegAnimal Estates Snag Tower
  • Patience (installation view)
    Jensen ArchitectsPatience
  • Pollen Balls Project (installation view)
    Amy LambertPollen Balls Project
  • Where Is the Hare? (installation view)
    Nathan LynchWhere Is the Hare?
  • Exhibition Pavilion
    Ogrydziak/Prillinger ArchitectsExhibition Pavilion
  • A Habitat of Flight (installation view)
    Surface Design Inc.A Habitat of Flight
  • Owl Dome (installation view)
    Taalman Koch ArchitectureOwl Dome

Related Media

  • Ai Weiwei, Western Screech Owl Habitats, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Philippe Becker Design, Winged Wisdom, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    CEBRA, Sculpture Habitat for the Gray Fox, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Chadwick Studio, Habitat for Anna’s Hummingbird, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Mark Dion with Nitin Jayaswal, Winged Defense, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Fritz Haeg, Animal Estates Snag Tower, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Jensen Architects, Patience, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Amy Lambert, Pollen Balls Project, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Nathan Lynch, Where Is the Hare?, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects, Exhibition Pavilion, 2010; photo: Monique Deschaines
    Surface Design, Inc., A Habitat of Flight, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Taalman Koch Architecture, Owl Dome, 2010 (installation view); photo: Monique Deschaines
    Installation Views
  • In the Press
Presidio Habitats was organized by the FOR-SITE Foundation in partnership with the Presidio Trust.

Projects

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    • Home Land Security
    • @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
    • Art About Place: FOR-SITE Foundation at the Presidio
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    • Presidio Habitats
      • Ai Weiwei
      • Philippe Becker Design
      • CEBRA
      • Chadwick Studio
      • Mark Dion with Nitin Jayaswal
      • Fritz Haeg
      • Jensen Architects
      • Amy Lambert
      • Nathan Lynch
      • Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects
      • Surface Design Inc.
      • Taalman Koch Architecture
    • The Marvelous Museum: A Mark Dion Project
    • Pae White: In Between the Outside-In
    • Chris Drury: Mushrooms | Clouds
    • Shi Guorui: Reproduction and Refashioning
    • Richard Long: The Path Is the Place Is the Line
    • New Work by Cornelia Parker
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Artist Editions

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  • alfarrowmultiple
  • bill-viola-earth-martyr-print
  • michelepredmultipleopen
  • trevorpaglen-challenge-coin_rdh_001

Field Notes

  • Allison Stone talks Art in the Presidio

  • Art in the Parks and “Home Land Security”: A Partner’s Perspective

  • Q&A with “Home Land Security” Curator Cheryl Haines

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Introducing Home land Security (abbreviated version)

Introducing Home land Security (abbreviated version)

September 10 through December 18 at Fort Winfield Scott. Learn more at: http://www.for-site.org/project/home-land-security/

Introducing Home Land Security

Introducing Home Land Security

September 10 – December 18, 2016 at Fort Winfield Scott Learn more at: http://www.for-site.org/project/home-land-security/

FOR-SITE Foundation Year-End Appeal 2015

FOR-SITE Foundation Year-End Appeal 2015

FOR-SITE Foundation executive director Cheryl Haines discusses the organization's history and hints at what's to come. Learn more: http://for-site.org/support/

Impromptu Performance by the Tesoro High School Choir in Ai Weiwei's @Large Exhibition

Impromptu Performance by the Tesoro High School Choir in Ai Weiwei's @Large Exhibition

An impromptu performance by the Tesoro High School choir in "Trace," one of seven site-specific artworks by artist Ai Weiwei in "@Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz.

Inside @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz

Inside @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz

Take a look inside "@Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz” and hear from the people behind this unprecedented exhibition exploring human rights and freedom of ...

The Making of @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz

The Making of @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz

Go behind the scenes of “@Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz.” The artist raises urgent questions about freedom of expression and human rights in this exhibition of ...

Twitter

  • Frustrated or angry about the proposed elimination of the NEA? Here's what you can do. #SavetheNEA #SupportTheArts… https://t.co/a7eobsvV3o
  • Love this! Wonder what #CA's official works of art would be. Thoughts? #ArtAboutPlace https://t.co/oSEUSGmpUw

Instagram

  • #Regram from our executive director @cheryllhaines who is in NYC this week for the opening of @aiww's "Hansel & Gretel" -- an exhibition that explores the meaning of public space in our surveillance-laden world.
  • The @presidiosf art docents give so much of their time, energy, and enthusiasm to providing visitors with a rich experience of the #AndyGoldsworthy installations, and we're incredibly grateful! We had a lovely afternoon last week celebrating their work and Andy's while he was in town working on #WoodLine. 📷: Charity Vargas (@cvpphoto), courtesy of @presidiosf #ArtAboutPlace
  • #AndyGoldsworthy and the @presidiosf forestry crew have been hard at work this week conserving "Wood Line." Here's a [very!] quick look courtesy of our Program Director @jaxvontreskow. #ArtAboutPlace
  • Big news! @aiww's "Trace" is headed to the @hirshhorn where it will be exhibited from June 28 through January 1, 2018. At this moment in time, we can't think of a better place for the work to be than right there in the heart of our nation's capital. #ArtAboutPlace

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Field Notes

  • Allison Stone talks Art in the Presidio

  • Art in the Parks and “Home Land Security”: A Partner’s Perspective

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