Augmented Reality

Artists: Artolution & Woken Arts Date: 2024. Location: Coffey Park, Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY Commissioned by: Red Hook West Resident Association, NYCHA, the Public Housing Community Fund, in collaboration with Snapchat.

This mural is the most recent—and largest—ever painted in Red Hook, spanning 2,500 square feet. It’s an initiative of the Red Hook West Resident Association, in partnership with the Public Housing Community Fund, to bring soul to the new constructions added to the Red Hook Houses. Remember, in 2012, Red Hook was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. The basements of these buildings were completely flooded, leaving residents without electricity or hot water for months. Today, the boilers and backup power generators have their own separate building—built high off the ground. And now that construction is finally wrapping up, after eight very long years, it was time to celebrate! But really, this mural isn’t just about the buildings. It’s about Red Hook itself—its strength, its spirit, and above all, the creativity and determination that helped it rise after Sandy. In the years since the hurricane, Red Hook has become one of the most organized and outspoken communities in the city when it comes to environmental justice. And that energy came through in the making of this mural. Young people, adults, long-time residents—everyone got involved. They met, discussed, drew, and painted. Together, they shaped the vision behind what you're looking at now. To bring that vision to life, they needed a very special team of artists. On the recommendation of Dustin Yellin from Pioneer Works, they partnered with Artolution, founded by artists Joel Bergner and Max Frieder—renowned for their powerful, community-driven murals around the world. They also brought in Woken Arts, a Brooklyn-based collective known for turning local stories into vibrant public art. And here is the result. On the left, you’ll see Joel Bergner’s vibrant portraits. These faces don’t represent specific individuals—they’re symbolic. They honor the diversity of Red Hook and the bonds across generations. Look at the background: the intricate lettering, the deep blues, the way a grandmother and child are connected through color and line. It speaks to identity, legacy, and care. In the center section, Woken Arts painted Red Hook’s heart—its harbor. You’ll see old cranes, containers, piers, seagulls, and, in the distance, the Statue of Liberty. Note, that she’s more than a landmark here. To locals, she’s a neighbor. And to the right is Max Frieder’s iconic tree. If you look closely, the leaves are made of human faces—dozens of them—woven together into one giant silhouette. It’s a powerful symbol of community interconnection. Now let’s focus on the bottom of the wall. These sections were painted entirely by residents. That’s actually very rare in community murals. Most adopt a paint-by-numbers approach. But here, residents were invited to paint freely—whatever they felt—so long as they used a shared color palette to keep the overall piece cohesive. And that’s how Jacket the squirrel made it into the mural. He’s something of a local celebrity in Red Hook—easily recognized by his half-black, half-white fur. In the mural, his colors are playfully reimagined, and he’s holding a bright red hook in his paw—becoming the unofficial mascot of Red Hook’s fight for environmental justice. And one last detail that makes this mural truly unique… Thanks to a collaboration with Snapchat, 15 teenagers and young adults residents of the Red Hook West Houses have been train to design Augmented Reality lenses for the mural. With their new skills, they turned parts of the mural into digital experiences. Point your phone at the wall, and the painting comes alive—images move, stories unfold. It’s a beautiful blend of analog and digital, old and new, art and technology. This mural is more than just a painting. It’s a declaration—of resilience, of identity, and of a community’s power in transforming its own story.