Rashid Johnson’s “Broken Men” Cover New Wall Sculpture for MAG’s Sculpture Park

BOSTON, MA – June 2023 – The Memorial Art Gallery‘s (MAG) Centennial two-acre Sculpture Park, situated near the corner of University Avenue and Prince Street in Rochester, New York, aims to enliven the museum grounds with new sculptures, pathways, gardens, and seating. The new artworks will function as beacons for MAG, and invite artists that are not well represented. The park serves as a visual and physical gateway, connecting MAG with the School of the Arts (SOTA) and the Visual Studies Workshop. 

Rashid Johnson, an esteemed Chicago-born contemporary American artist, created a significant sculptural installation, designed specifically for the site, titled “Broken Pavilion” for The Memorial Art Gallery’s Sculpture Park. The 90-foot-long sculpture wall covers roughly 1,600 square feet in an abstract U-shape-like form with both sides and the top of the wall showcasing mosaic artwork by Rashid. The mosaic is composed of hand-cut tiles fabricated by Artaic, an award-winning tile mosaic designer and manufacturer. The Boston-based mosaic manufacturer’s proprietary design software, Tylist, processes the artist’s creative work, regardless of the original medium, and transforms it into a mosaic design. Artaic’s American-made robots then produce the artwork into 1’ x 1’ sheets for installation. 

Rashid Johnson’s “Broken Pavilion” is an ambitious mosaic artwork that came to fruition following his visit to the campus and interactions with students. The sculpture serves as the introduction to the park, and acts as the anchoring piece for the park’s expansion, inviting students and guests to perform, learn and participate in the space. The artwork features a series of characters Rashid calls the “broken men” that he often references as an audience.

This latest addition to Sculpture Park emphasizes essential placemaking principles to create an engaging and inclusive public space within the park that not only reflects the cultural identity of the community, but also promotes social interaction, community engagement, and a sense of belonging. Due to the nature of the medium, the mosaic elements maintain their vibrancy and durability, standing as an enduring piece of art within Sculpture Park for years to come. 

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Artaic specializes in the design, fabrication, and assembly of award-winning mosaics, employing cutting-edge robotic technology and innovative design tools. Artaic’s proprietary Tylist™ software enables its in-house design team to create custom mosaics from source imagery of all mediums—whether drawings, photographs, logos, or ideas and concepts. With a wide range of materials, including vitreous glass, sintered glass, stone, and glazed porcelain, Artaic’s team ensures each creation is distinct and tailored to the client’s vision. At the heart of Artaic’s philosophy is the elevation of the tile mosaic to an art form. Whether introducing a distinctive artistic element to a project or translating an artist’s work into a new medium, Artaic fosters a reevaluation of tile as a powerful element of design and art. Artaic also offers a catalog of preconceived design collections—such as Flourish, Splash!, Lasting Rugs, and Verge—that can be customized to fit projects of any scale and made unique by an expansive material and color palette. The Boston-based company’s tailored approach and unique manufacturing process increase design flexibility and artistic expression while decreasing lead time and cost, making it a go-to resource for architects, interior designers, and artists across the globe.