Nancy Nowacek

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-SHIP
2015
Caracas, Venezuela

Sculpture and participatory performance
In collaboration with ADJKM Arquitectos and Universidad Central de Venezuela 
students

Mixed media

Various Dimensions



-SHIP was a mobile artwork to spark a temporary moment of restored public life to Caracas, Venezeula. Because of the longstanding violence and economic crisis, life is no longer lived in public in Venezeula; and Caraquenos no longer trust one another.

-SHIP, made of all donated and/or found materials, ready for a game in its first public square in Caracas.
First game of -SHIP baseball underway. The team created the bats and bases to go with borrowed inflatable beach balls.
-SHIP moved through the streets of Caracas, a large joyful procession.
Second game of baseball in the second public plaza
-SHIP’s final stop: Plaza Francia after a short rainstorm
-SHIP was built just outside of Caracas in a furniture factory. The factory donated space, materials, equipment, for which we were all deeply grateful.
Architecture students worked collaboratively every step of the way
Students played numerous games of baseball in different locations to determine the equipment and adjustments they would need to make the game.
The whole team at the end of the last day


-SHIP—envisioned as a mobile sports arena—was an interactive and transformative vessel that, through architecture, play, and sport, reshaped the spaces it occupied, and changed the way Caraquenos related to their city surrounds. It’s goal was to temporarily shift public perceptions of public urban spaces through a communal environment free of fear of violence. 

-SHIP was cooperatively built in 5 days and deployed in public plazas around Caracas to bring Caraqueños together through their national sport: baseball.

Named for the English grammatical suffix meaning “quality, condition; act, power, skill; office, position; relation between,”-SHIP was designed as an instrument of encounter, conversation, and speculation, built to inspire imagination and shift perspectives of public space through collaborative acts of play.  It was a vessel engaging ideas of Authorship, Fellowship, Stewardship, Workmanship, and Statesmanship.

-SHIP was a collaboration with architecture studio ADJKM, Central Arquitectura, and students from Universidad Central de Venezuela to create a mobile research facility to uncover the waking dreams for a sustainable for a sustainable futurePROJECT CREDITS
-SHIP was commissioned by Caracas Forum 2015 and Backroom Caracas and Cultura Chacao with the support of the Office of Public Affairs of the US Embassy Venezuela

Backroom Caracas:

Rody Douzoglou

Gabriella Mesones Rojo

Gaelle Smits

Florencia Alvarado

Marianela Diaz Cardoso

Natasha Tiniacos

Nathalia Manzo

Victor Caradonna

Workspace, materials, and technical assistance: 
Smith Falchetti



Photography: Vladimir Marcano



Video: Jesus Montemarano, Ricardo Rendon, Luis Mata, Eduardo Pena, Mariangela Suares, Rodrigo Guzman



Material Donations: Maria Gabriela Parra, Fernando Salegui, Silvia Briceño, Josymar Rodriguez, Mundo Papel, Orlando Ceballos, Victor Caradonna, Enrique Mendez, Gisela Smith, Ruben Torres



Delicious sandwiches and cakes provided by: Franca Coffee Cakes, Carlos Cesar Avila, Natalia Diaz Sfeir



Additional Support: by FAU-Universidad Central de Venezuela, Gustavo Izaguirre, Ricardo Sanz



Cultura Chacao: Albe Perez, Rosa Virginia Urdaneta


Office of Public Affairs of the US Embassy Venezuela: Yaroslava Petrova, Elena Broszkowski
-SHIP was designed in collaboration with ADJKM Arquitectos: Khristian Ceballos, Alejandro Méndez, Daniel Otero, Jean-Marc Rio



…and built by:

Adriana Russián

David Freites

Andrea Mata

Alibel Rodriguez

Rebeca Tovar

Fabiola dos ramos

Juan Carlos Linares

Carlos Santoyo

Jesús Goncalves

Franklin Mendoza

Daniel Vidigal Boiwko

Paula Granadillo
 Diamara Martinez

Franchesca Rubertone
Gustavo Lopez

María Mercedes Gasiba Prado

Sofía Castro

Alex Rodriguez

Miriham Davila

Maria Coello

María de los Ángeles Velásquez

Tania Rejon

Isabella Bianco

Alejandro Arias

Mario de Fina

Salvatore Villa

Adriana Flores

Leonardo Morales

Raiza Migreisis González
Romel Fernando

Geliana Diaz Jianty

Daniel Mendez

Oscar Ceballos

Abraham García

Roberto Ruiz

Mei Tang

Kleyver Gutierrez

Pedro Antonio Tortello

Fabrizzio Vazquez
Angy Andreina Zambrano Díaz
 Gerardo Gonzalez
Francisco Schutte

Bárbara Araque

Barbara González

Luis Miguel Sánchez Sequera

Andrea C.
Yolé 
Irene Esparza 
Marquina
Jorge 
Matheus
Katehrine de Jesus

Andreína Ramos

Laura Sayan

David Mata
leysbel Osorio

Diego Maggi

Marianna Assaroni
 Ágata Delgado

Bianca Giuliano Vidal

Valeria Casale

Katherine Ettedgui

Daniela Silva

Luis Daniel Gomes

Daniela Dappo

Victoria Ruiz

Francesco Caradonna

Daniel Otero
 

Ricardo Sanz

Stefan Gzyl

Valentina Caradonna






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©2025 Nancy Nowacek
Nancy Nowacek artist is a research-based artist, designer, and educator working in visual art, public art, social practice, and socially-engaged contexts.