New Public Art Celebrating Year of the Dragon

Special to the Regional Review

The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy is excited to announce collaborations with artists Ponnapa Prakkamakul and Zhidong Zhang on public art installations as part of their annual Chinese Zodiac series. The Conservancy installed Prakkamakul’s Year of the Dragon on February 15, and will install Zhang’s Far Away, From Home in mid-March 2024. Both artworks will be sited in Auntie Kay and Uncle Frank Chin Park.

About the two works, Adam Torres, the Conservancy’s Public Art Project Manager, says, “Ceremony, community, and tradition are everything in times of fear and uncertainty. For the first time in The Greenway’s Public Art Program, we have commissioned two separate sculptures for the Chinese Zodiac and Lunar New Year. In the spirit of the abundant and rejuvenating dragon, Prakkamakul and Zhang’s pieces center love, community, and identity at the heart of Chin Park. Each piece dovetails into the other along the park’s Serpentine Path. At the northern end of the path, Zhang’s multimedia installation invites an intimate and introspective experience to the viewer while at the southern end, Prakkamakul’s colorful sculpture celebrates community, playfulness, and joy. We at the Conservancy are beyond excited to welcome these pieces to the park and to help facilitate their meaningful exchange.”

Ponnapa Prakkamakul:

Year of the Dragon

Prakkamakul’s Year of the Dragon draws on Chinese mythology, in which dragons are associated with rain, wind, and bodies of water. They are seen as both creators and protectors of these landscapes. Within the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, dragons are the only imaginary animal and are said to be imbued with magical qualities. Inspired by these ideas, Prakkamakul saw Chin Park’s serpentine-like form as a magical dragon that protects and brings joy to neighborhoods along Boston’s waterfront.

Prakkamakul’s installation is a twenty-foot long interactive dragon, playfully named Ju Long Ju Long, which means Giant Dragon, Gathering Dragon. Formed out of brightly colored plywood, it stands seven feet tall, four feet wide, and is engraved with quotes from members of Boston’s Chinatown community gathered during co-creation workshops. It also features two hands-on play elements for children: a large spinning kaleidoscope and a hand drum. In June 2024, Prakkamakul will install the dragon’s “tail”, a vinyl ground mural that was collaboratively created with A-VOYCE youth (Asian Voice of Organized Youth for Community Empowerment) that will stretch 60 feet throughout Chin Park.

“I believe that joy is a shared experience that can pass on from one person to another,” says Prakkamakul. “This collective experience brings people together and strengthens our sense of community, especially in a community experiencing transformation from gentrification. The installation aims to foster playful moments that spark joy and bring people together.”

The Conservancy held an opening celebration for Year of the Dragon on February 18, 2024 in Chin Park. Later this year on June 10, 2024, the Conservancy will also host a Dragon Boat Festival to celebrate Prakkamakul’s work.

Year of the Dragon is on display through January 2025.