Skywalkers: A Portrait of Mohawk Ironworkers at the World Trade Center
On View: November 2018 - January 2019
Role: Exhibition Designer at the National September 11 Museum and Memorial
Mohawk ironworkers have shaped the skylines of North American cities for more than 100 years. Their work is intertwined with the modern history of lower Manhattan, where they built the original Twin Towers, aided rescue and recovery operations at Ground Zero, and worked to reconstruct the new World Trade Center site. In 2012, photographer Melissa Cacciola created stunning tintype photographs of the Local 40 Mohawk ironworkers. Through her work, Cacciola created a powerful testament to the shared history of the Mohawk ironworkers and the World Trade Center site.
Skywalkers features Cacciola’s work along with contextual imagery and artifacts. Cor-ten steel panels and i-beam run down the main exhibition passage, allowing visitors to physically connect with the material of ironworking. The Mohawk language is incorporated in artwork labels and a full audioguide translation is available in both Akwesasne and Kahnawake Kanien'keháka dialects.
I worked on Skywalkers from concept to installation. Working closely with the curators, we created the concept, layout, design elements, and lighting.
Press: CBC: 9/11 Museum Exhibit Tells Story of Mohawk Ironworkers’ Contribution to New York City, Vice News: The Mohawk Skywalkers Who Shaped New York City, The Tribeca Trib: ‘A Powerful Testament’: Mohawk Ironworkers at the World Trade Center
All photos by Jin-Sup Lee
