Camminando | Brooklyn, Gowanus Canal

photo credit: Daniela Bertol

Last Saturday my walkabouts took me to a quite fascinating mix of industrial archeology and art practices: the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn.

The misty evening coupled with the remains of the snow added to ghost like atmosphere of the canal. Located in the western border of Long Island, the canal was once a busy commercial water transportation hub.
The canal was built from local tidal wetlands and fresh water streams faced several environmental problems and is undergoing environmental cleanup in conjunction with waterfront development plans.

Camminando | Brooklyn, Gowanus Canal and Art

Several not-profit art and cultural associations dwell in the abandoned industrial building surrounding the Gowanus Canal.



Proteus Gowanus is a non-profit interdisciplinary gallery and reading room.

The gallery presents exhibits of art, artifacts and books and hosts events that revolve around a year long theme linking the arts to other disciplines and to the community.



Proteus also displays exhibits about the Gowanus Canal history, including maps and specimens.


This year theme for Proteus exhibits is "Paradise".

For more information visit Proteus Gowanus web site



Another not-profit space is Cabinet, which publishes the homonymous quarterly magazine of art and culture. Cabinets also hosts the exhibition "An Exchange with Sol LeWitt"