About
Phytoplankton, algal blooms and bioluminescence become an interactive spirit-world passage in LaJuné McMillian's Pioneer Works show.
McMillian follows Child, a recurring avatar from her Mother of the Sun project, across a threshold where land meets sea and water stands in for a first brush with the spirit world. The science is real, drawn from her OceanX residency research on plankton, blooms and bioluminescence, but the experience is meant to be felt as much as understood. If you like art that mixes digital bodies with ocean biology, add it to your Red Hook afternoon.
What to expect
Expect an interactive, multimedia environment rather than objects on walls, with moving-image work built around the avatar Child dissolving into oceanic life. It shares Pioneer Works' galleries with two other new fall exhibitions.
Good to know
- The installation is interactive, so give it time rather than walking straight through.
- Pioneer Works is at 159 Pioneer Street; there is no nearby subway, so use the B61 bus or the Atlantic Basin ferry stop.
- Combine it with Siphon and There's no me without you in the same building.
- The back garden is a pleasant stop between galleries.
Common questions
What inspired Child/ren of the Bloom?
The artist's research on phytoplankton, algal blooms and bioluminescence, developed during her 2026 OceanX Education artist residency.
Who is Child?
A recurring avatar in LaJuné McMillian's work, followed here through a first threshold crossing within her ongoing Mother of the Sun project.