Aida Šehović

Occupying a space between sculpture and architecture, Obstacle Course: Patriot Challenge I exists as both a work of art and a fully functional replica of a military-grade training course. Displaced from its native military context, this human scale course exists as a monument to the men and women who continuously submit their whole selves — bodies and lives — for a potential future of violence and loss in foreign landscapes. And simultaneously, in this open public park, the work takes on an air of playfulness, accessibility, and participation.

The installation toggles between play and training, fun and the deadly business of preparing for combat. This multilevel engagement complicates the references of American militarism and creates an engaging sculpture and space for open exchange and dialogue.