Artist Statement
Rose DeSiano brings photography and sculpture together in a public art practice that examines public space, community identity, and the reframing of cultural symbolism and collective consciousness. Interested in bringing lost or overlooked histories to the surface, her immersive outdoor installations activate the landscape by celebrating unsung communities. She uses her works to create public spaces for reverie and bliss, offering viewers moments of reflection. Through photographic archives and her own imagery, she works to fill the gaps and make connections between varied cultural histories, opening pathways into the past while serving as a conduit for empathy in today’s world. Professor DeSiano sees public art as an act of advocacy and activism.
Biography
Artist Rose DeSiano and her artwork and research bring photography and sculpture together in a public art practice that examines public space, community identity, and the reframing of cultural symbolism and collective consciousness.
Commissioned by multiple cities, her photo-sculptures have appeared all over New York, in prominent locations such as the South Street Seaport, DUMBO promenade, Central Park as well as other sites. Her large-scale works have also been installed in parks and public spaces in San Diego, Cleveland, Connecticut, and Delaware, and have been the recipient of multiple awards, including; Uniqlo Parks Grant and FLOW.17 Public Art Award. Her gallery artwork has been exhibited in solo shows in the US and Europe, along with group museum exhibitions including the Park Avenue Armory, Bronx Art Museum, Allentown Museum, and Heritage Museum of Málaga. She has been featured in international art fairs; Photoville, AIPAD Photo Show, FOTOFOCUS, and Orange Changsha Photo, China.
Her work appears in publications including Hyperallergic, Vogue, Time-Out, ArtNews, and UK’s Aesthetica. She has participated in residencies and visiting artist positions at the ArtEZ AKI hogeschool voor de Kunsten Enschede, The Netherlands, NYU Tisch Future Imagination Cohort, Bronx Museum of the Arts, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
In addition to her studio practice, DeSiano actively engages in presentations on her research: Exploring Ethical Dilemmas In: Public Art, Monuments & Photo Archives: Reimagining Collective Consciousness through Public Sculpture, and Photography’s Use of Landscape for Cultural Criticism. Her lectures have been hosted at institutions and organizations such as The Municipal Art Society of NY, Cleveland Museum of Art, Center of Art Law of New York, and New York Society of Ethical Culture
A Brooklyn native, DeSiano holds an MFA from ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles and a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is currently a Professor of Photography and Critical Studies at New York University - Tisch School of the Arts, Dept of Photography and Imaging.
Brooklyn, New York
