Raft

Can we hold our relationships to one another as sacred? How do we respond to our environment and effect change? What can we build together from a faltering world? 

At once a sacred mountain and a social microcosm, this sensitive interactive environment—constructed from the detritus of imperialism—invites visitors to build the responses that might carry us home. Meant to be collectively inhabited, Raft is an emergent space inspired in part by Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa, a painting that frames the horrors that unfold when human lives are treated as expendable. Whether arriving alone or as part of a group activation, visitors are invited to take action, to gather, to take stock of who is present, and consider what must be done. 

In this installation premiere, Yanira Castro and team—including Kathy Couch, RPI alum Stephan Moore, Ariel Lembeck, LD DeArmon, and access doula Marielys Burgos Meléndez—craft a world meant to be felt and moved through, where visitors engage with the actions of others who came before. Intimate voices can be heard embedded inside the installation, interwoven with sounds from Castro’s archipelago origins. Here, participants can contribute to this expanding archive of recorded stories, sharing their own early memories of soil and dirt. 

Open Hours and Group Activations are different experiences. Visitors can do either or both. During the group activations on Thursday and Friday, the installation closes for a participatory experience led by the artist. RSVP is required; the activation begins at listed start times and lasts roughly 75–90 minutes.

For both the installation and group activation, consider wearing comfortable clothes and closed-toed shoes, along with anything else you would wear to freely play. You are encouraged to bring any support elements you typically use in your active life, such as reading glasses.

Accessibility

Raft integrates accessibility practices like low-sensory hours, a care toolkit to navigate the installation, and live Audio Description (AD) for blind and visually impaired people (upon request). Request access