Cascode
West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 2024
CASCODE public art project for Amy Gutmann Hall. Concept rendering by Michael DiCarlo for eto otitigbe Studio
Cascode is a newly commissioned landmark public art installation in Philadelphia by polymedia artist Eto Otitigbe. Supported by the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation’s (PHDC) Percent for Art program and Penn Engineering, the installation translates hard data into an interactive artwork that’s representative and inclusive of the West Philadelphia community. In all stages of Cascode’s development and launch, Dash will manage and produce public programming and engagement activities.
Press
THE ARTIST
Eto Otitigbe’s current public commissions include: Peaceful Journey (Mt. Vernon, N.Y., 2022); Emanativ (Harlem, N.Y. - forthcoming); and Passing Point (Alexandria, Va. - forthcoming). He was a member of the Design Team for the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers at University of Virginia (Charlottesville, Va.), where he contributed to the creative expression on the memorial's exterior surface. His curatorial projects include directing the es ORO Gallery in Jersey City, N.J. (2007-09) and co-curating, alongside Amanda Kerdahi, the Topophilia Exhibition in Nees, Denmark (2017) as part of the ET4U Meetings Festival in Denmark. He received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, an M.S. in Product Design from Stanford University and an MFA in Creative Practice from the University of Plymouth.
PROGRAMS
UPCOMING
Coming soon.
PAST
Art X Data Science panel
The Rotunda on the University of Pennsylvania + Online
November 2, 2022
Video by Anthony Artis
Art x Data Science was a panel discussion with imaginative thought leaders whose work and practice intersect art and data science. Taking place at The Rotunda, Philadelphia, the event invited Mindy Seu, LaJuné McMillian, and Dr. Synatra Smith to share their recent projects followed by a discussion and Q&A moderated by Eto Otitigbe, the polymedia artist commissioned for the public artwork, Cascode.
c/o Cascode
Community Design Workshop
Cedar Works Community Center
March 17 & 19, 2022
Cascode Community Design Workshop was the second public engagement program presented by Eto Otitigbe and Dashboard. This program was a 3-part workshop series engaging the West Philadelphia community to identify creative ideation and design thinking methods as they pertain to Cascode.
Led by Eto and a small team, this series was in-person at Cedar Works Community Center. The workshops highlighted the three main elements of Cascode: light, metal and stone. Attending guests participated in collaborative exercises to envision possible outcomes for the artwork. The feedback collected will be used to inform the 3D models and algorithms for the art.
Where to begin: introduction to cascode
Zoom
February 23, 2022
Where to Begin was the first public facing program presented by Eto Otitigbe and Dashboard. The program served as an introduction to Cascode, and polymedia artist Eto Otitigbe.
About PHDC’s Percent for Art Program
The PRA pioneered the Art Program in March 1959, becoming the first program in the United States to make the commissioning of public art an integral part of any publicly funded development. PHDC officially took over stewardship of the Art Program in November, 2020. Since the program's inception, over three hundred and fifty works of public art have been installed in all areas of the city. The stewards of the Art Program seek to support new and interesting applications for public art that reflect the diversity of the city and are committed to equitable processes of engagement and artist selection that encourage the full participation of our community.