Perfect Shot, 2025
Nina Katchadourian
Basketball
My Brooklyn studio is right on the Gowanus Canal. For at least a decade I've been looking at several pillars (technically known as "dolphins") in the canal and thinking about their potential as a plinth. I had a basketball in my studio which I pictured on the pillar as if someone had taken a perfect shot and landed it perfectly centered, the way you'd place a sculpture in a museum. These pillars are completely out of reach of the bridge that crosses the canal, as well as from land. With two very long aluminum poles, some fishing line, a friend, and a lot of unsolicited advice from strangers passing by, I managed to get the ball perfectly placed early one weekend morning. Afterwards, I packed up my tools and eavesdropped while people crossing the bridge stopped, discussed, and often took pictures.
On Site
About the Artist
Nina Katchadourian (born 1968) is an American interdisciplinary artist and educator. She works with photography, sculpture, video, sound, public projects, and performance, often in playful ways that engage familiar but overlooked aspects of everyday life.
Her projects have been widely exhibited, including solo shows at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (2008), The Blanton Museum of Art (2017), and The Morgan Library & Museum (2023). Her work was included in the 2015 Venice Biennial as part of the Armenian pavilion exhibition, which won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation.
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