Portals into Houston’s past — or future
The piece: “The Houston Oracle in Two Parts”
The artist: Stephen Korns Where: Bagby underpass at Bayou Place
Why: Because this new permanent, site-specific multimedia installation is now officially ready for your eyes, though you might have noticed it coming together for months.
“The Houston Oracle in Two Parts” looks like a pair of portals to some other, more mysterious place. That would be, ahem, Houston’s past. Or maybe its future.
Korns has built a pair of faux facades made of reclaimed materials on the walls of the Bayou Place underpass at Bagby. One holds a window, the other a doorway, both of which look like remnants of buildings that might have once stood here. Photographs and videos appear through the openings. You’ll most likely see “The Houston Oracle” from your car, but if you get out and wander over on foot, you’ll hear it, too.
What can we say? Korns lives in New York, where pedestrians would be all over it. As with his Lunar Cycle Lighting along Buffalo Bayou Park, the lighting changes nightly, in sync with the moon. The images rotate, too — exploring Houston’s buildings, natural environment, labor conditions and culture.
“The work asks questions about living in the city, what is saved of the past, who we’ve been and what we have in common,” Korn says. “An oracle reveals the meaning of signs and offers a useful perspective. It’s not so much about predicting the future but about giving some insight into what is possible.”
However you approach the piece, this is a dandy way to transform an ugly tunnel into a place that feels almost welcoming. At the very least, it feels safer than it used to — and human. Imagine what the city could be if every underpass did.