THE STRANGER NEXT DOOR
The Stranger Next Door is a public art project commissioned by JCC Harlem in collaboration with Art In FLUX. The structure is an exploration of a Sukkah, a temporary outdoor dwelling used during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Shining a light on the often overlooked Jewish populations of the Caribbean Archipelago, Cybil explores what a Sukkah may looks like with the influence of the traditional architecture of the Antilles such as the gingerbread houses and the thatch roof country houses inherited from the original Taino and Carib people of the region.
The intricate designs of the walls are based on Haitians fanals which are intricate paper lanterns in the shape of houses, traditionally made around the holiday seasons. Originally constructed in Morningside Park, directly under the Cathedral of Saint John The Divine, The Stranger Next Door also offers to the viewer an alternative, expanded view of a cosmopolitan Sukkah.
After its stay in Morningside Park, the structure was converted into permanent light boxes installed at JCC Harlem.
The intricate designs of the walls are based on Haitians fanals which are intricate paper lanterns in the shape of houses, traditionally made around the holiday seasons. Originally constructed in Morningside Park, directly under the Cathedral of Saint John The Divine, The Stranger Next Door also offers to the viewer an alternative, expanded view of a cosmopolitan Sukkah.
After its stay in Morningside Park, the structure was converted into permanent light boxes installed at JCC Harlem.