Mary Mattingly is an interdisciplinary artist who explores imagined socio-ecological futures. She builds sculptural ecosystems.
Mattingly's work has been exhibited at institutions such as Storm King Art Center, the International Center of Photography, Seoul Art Center, the Brooklyn Museum, Palais de Tokyo, Barbican Art Gallery, and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Havana. Notable grants include the James L. Knight Foundation, the Harpo Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, and the Jerome Foundation.
Mattingly has been featured in various documentaries and publications, including Art21 and The New York Times. Her monograph titled "What Happens After" was published by the Anchorage Museum and Hirmer in 2022.
BOOKS Bell, Nicholas, Julie Decker, Sergio Bessa, Kristine Wong, Heather Davis, Stephanie Wakefield, Gean Moreno, and Stan Cox, What Happens After, Hirmer, 2022 Boetzkes, Amanda, Climate Realism ed. Lynn Badia, Marija Cetinic and Jeff Diamanti, Routledge Press, 2019 Weintraub, Linda, What’s Next? Eco Materialism and Contemporary Art, University of Chicago Press, 2019. Yuha Jung, Ann Rowson Love, Systems Thinking in Museums: Theory and Practice, Rowman & Littlefield, 2017 Muller, Ellen. Elements and Principles of 4D Art and Design, Oxford University Press, 2016. Sayre, Henry, A World of Art, 8th edition, Pearson Education Inc. Lawrence King Publishing, 2015. Davis, Heather and Etienne Turpin, Art in the Anthropocene: Encounters Among Aesthetics, Politics, Environments and Epistemologies Open Humanities Press, 2015. Speculations ("The future is ______"), Triple Canopy, 2015. Michaels, Maria, Media Art and the Urban Environment: Engendering Public Engagement with Urban Ecology Springer-Verlag, 2015. Tsai, Eugenie and Rujeko Hockley. Crossing Brooklyn, Brooklyn Museum, NY, 2014. Common Spaces, The Whitney Museum, NY, 2014. Goldfarb, Maximilian and Matt Bua. Drawing Building, Lawrence King, 2012. Kastner, Jeffrey. Nature, Documents of Contemporary Art Series, Whitechapel/MIT Press, 2012. Sullivan, Lexi Lee, Temporary Structures, deCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, 2012. Bogre, Michelle, Photography as Activism: Images for Social Change, Focal Press, 2012. R. Klanten, S. Ehmann, K. Bolhfer, My Green City, Gestalten, 2011. Water, Prix Pictet, teNeuse, 2009. Au Feminin, Centre Culturel Calouste Gulbenkian, Paris, 2008.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2023: "Ebb of a Spring Tide." Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, NY 2021: “Pipelines and Permafrost.” Robert Mann Gallery, New York, NY 2020:“Wearable Homes.” Anchorage Museum Anchorage AK “Scarred Landscapes.” National Arts Club, New York, NY 2019: “Last Library.”Contemporary Art Museum, University of Colorado, Boulder CO “Open Ocean.” Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT 2018: “Because for Now There is Still Poetry.” Robert Mann Gallery, New York, NY “What Happens After?” BRIC Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY 2017: “I’ll go on.” Versailles Foundation, Monet’s Garden, Giverny, FR “I’ll go on.” Watkins School of Art, Memphis TN 2016: “Objects Unveiled: Boxing, Rolling, Stretching, and Cutting.”Institute for the Humanities, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI “Mass and Obstruction” Light Work, Syracuse, NY 2015: “Pull.” Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de la Habana, Havana, Cuba 2014: “Mary Mattingly.” Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, Omaha, NE 2013: “House and Universe.” Robert Mann Gallery, New York, NY 2011: “The Island is also the Origin.” WINTEC, Hamilton, New Zealand “The Investigation, Constitution, and Formation of Flock House.” Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, NY 2010: “The Anatomy of Melancholy.” Occurrence Espace d'art et d'essai Contemporains, Montreal 2009: “Nomadographies.” Robert Mann Gallery, New York, NY 2007: "Frontier?" Galerie Adler, Frankfurt, Germany "Time Has Fallen Asleep." New York Public Library, New York, NY 2006: "Fore Cast." White Box, New York, NY "Second Nature." Robert Mann Gallery, New York, NY
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION 2023: Pardo, Alona. "RE/SISTERS: Ecologies, Communities and Survival" Barbican Art Gallery, London, UK Haslinger, Sophie. “Mining Photography. The ecological footprint of image production” KUNST HAUS WIEN GmbH. Vienna
2022: Rakhimova, Laziza.“Reconnections: In Kinship with Nature.” United Nations, NY Bihr, Dr. Judith. ”Konsum in der Kunst.” Museum Biberach, Biberach, Germany Best, Makeda, Kevin Moore. “On the Line: Documents of Risk and Faith.” Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art, Cincinnati, OH
Levin, Boaz and Dr. Esther Ruelfs. “Mining Photography: The Ecological Footprint of Image Production.” Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg
Torre, Blanca de la, Eric Zoran. “Con los pies en la Tierra.” CAAM Las Palmas 2021: de la Torre, Blanca. "Biocene Biennial.” Fundación Municipal Bienal de Cuenca, Ecuador
“Wandamba yalungka/Winds change direction.” Performa, New York, NY Synthetic Collective. “Plastic Heart” CAM at the University of Toronto, Toronto, CA
Patrick Mahon “Gardenship and State.” Museum London, Ontario CA
2020: “Overview Effect.” Museum of Contemporary Art Belgrade Fabijanska, Monika. “ecofeminism(s)” Thomas Erben Gallery, New York, NY Watts, Patricia. "Performative Ecologies" Currents 826, Santa Fe, NM
Burkhalter, Laura. “Researchers: Women Artists Inspired by Science” Des Moines Art Museum, Des Moines, IA “The World to Come: Art in the Age of the Anthropocene” DePaul Art Museum, Chicago, IL
2019: “Survival Architecture.” Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, CA Rosenberg, Randy. “Survival Architecture.” Appleton Museum of Art, Ocala, FL “The World to Come: Art in the Age of the Anthropocene.” University Art Museum, Ann Arbor MI Spaid, Sue, Blanca de la Torre. “Fingers Crossed.” ADN Platform, Barcelona, Spain “Climate Justice.” Museum Arnhem, Arnhem, Netherlands
2018: Storm King “Indicators: Artists on Climate Change” NY curated by Nora Lawrence
Oliver-Smith, Kerry. "The World to Come " The Harn Museum of Art, Ganisville, FL Rosenberg, Randy. “Survival Architecture.” Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Eugene, OR "New York City Urban Field Station." The Arsenal in Central Park, New York, NY “A Changing Climate.” Hearst Gallery, New York, NY “Water.” OOKulturquartier, Linz, Austria
2017: Adams, Rachel. “Wanderlust.” University of Buffalo Art Museum, Buffalo, NY “Wanderlust 2” Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA
2016: Grover, Andrea. “Radical Seafaring.” The Parrish Museum, Watermill NY Decker, Julie. “Polar Lab.” The Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK Voeller, Megan. “Extracted.” University of Southern Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, FL Boseul Shin, Nathalie. “Scarcity and Supply” Nanjing International Art Exhibition, Nanjing, China
2015: Fisher, Cora. "Collective Actions." Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art. Winston Salem, NC “WetLand.” Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Philadelphia, PA “Consumed.” University Art Museum, University of California Long Beach
2014: Guruli, Magda, Lydia Matthews. “Artisteria.” Literature Museum, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia Hockley, Rujeko, Eugenie Tsai. “Crossing Brooklyn” The Brooklyn Museum, NY Carvalho, Denise, Ginger Shulick Porcella. “Beyond Limits.” San Diego Art Institute, CA “Falsework.” Blackwood Gallery, Toronto Canada “A Common Space.” The Whitney Curatorial Exhibition, The Kitchen, New York, NY Bilal, Waafa. “Distant Images, Local Positions.” Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts 2013: Clancy, Dana, Lynne Cooney. "System ECOnomies." Boston University, MA "From Process to Progress: Mary Mattingly and Michael Cataldi.” Bronx River Art Center, NY 2012: Rabb, Lauren. "Broken Desert - Land and Sea." The University of Arizona Museum of Art “Camp Out: Finding Home in an Unstable World.” Laumeier Sculpture Park “Streams of Consciousness: Histories, Mythologies, and Ecologies of Water.” Salina Art Center, Kansas 2011: "The Social Landscape." Lianzhou Foto 2011, Lianzhou, China Shin, Nathalie Boseul. "Labour of Love." Arko Art Center, Seoul, South Korea “Temporary Structures: Performing Architecture in Contemporary Art.” deCordova Museum, MA “Imagine Earth.” Seoul Art Center, Seoul, South Korea “On the Road.” Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, VA 2010: "Dans l'archipel du Waterpod." Occurrence Espace d'art et d'essai Contemporains, Montreal, Canada "The Nomadic Studio." DePaul University Art Museum, Chicago, IL 2009: “Au Feminin.” Culturel Calouste Gulbenkian, Paris, France "Trouble in Paradise: Examining Discord Between Nature and Society." Tucson Museum of Art, Tuscon, AZ “Water.” Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands “Water – Currents.” Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, Greece "Prix Pictet." Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France 2008: "Future Tense, Reshaping the Landscape." Neuberger Museum of Art, NY “Video Visionen, O eins.” Edith Russ Site for Media Art, Oldenburg, Germany 2007: "Other Worlds." Mattatuck Museum, Danbury, CT "Bivouac." Art Omi, Ghent, NY curated by Maximillion Goldfarb 2006: Triennial “Ecotopia.” International Center for Photography, New York, NY
BIBLIOGRAPHY 2013 – 2021
2022: Lescaze, Zoë. “How Should Art Reckon with Climate Change?” T Magazine, New York Times
2021: Corbetta, Caroline. “Rebecca Mendes, Agnes Denes, and Mary Mattingly.” Domus Magazine Reiss, Julie. “Public Water.” Brooklyn Rail Englefield, Jane. “Watershed Core is a cyclical installation that filters rainwater in New York.” Dezeen Levere, Jane. “Public Water Presents New York’s Complex Drinking Water System in Miniature.” Metropolis Russo, Jillian. “Wandamba yalungka.../Winds change direction...” Hyperallergic
Kent, Charlotte. “Pipelines and Permafrost.” The Brooklyn Rail Bury, Louis. “Pipelines and Permafrost.” Hyperallergic
2020: Wickouski, Sheila. “ecofeminism(s) Connects Feminism, Art and Eco-Consciousness.” Ms Magazine Weintraub, Linda. “ecofeminism(s) - Thomas Erben Gallery.” Flash Art Jones, Alex A. “ecofeminism(s).” The Brooklyn Rail “Mary Mattingly is the Brooklyn Public Library’s Artist in Residence.” Artforum
Libbey, Peter. “Mary Mattingly Named Brooklyn Public Library’s Artist in Residence.” New York Times
2019: Dobrzynski, Judith H. “Tired of Model Ships? Try a Priceless Turner.” Wall Street Journal Gruenberg, Tess. “The Future of Food.” Dazed Magazine “Mystic Seaport Museum to Open New Exhibition.” Norwich Bulletin Dell, Alison. “Collaborating with Nature: Public Art & the Environment.” Public Art Dialogue “Mary Mattingly: Material Supply Chains and Eco-Traumas.” The Brooklyn Rail Schoenhagen, Astrid. “Wearable Homes.” wohnen+/-ausstellen Bellanger, Baya. “Regard sur l'architecture.” Réalisatrice
2018:Novick, Ilana. “Taking Apart the War Machine to See What’s Inside.” Hyperallergic
Lescaze, Zoë. “12 Artists on Climate Change.” New York Times Steinhauer, Jillian. “Mary Mattingly.” New York Times Bury, Louis. “The Ghosts of Our Future Climate at Storm King, Hyperrallergic
“Outdoor Artworks Tackle Environmental Issues, At Storm King.” New Yorker
Sayej, Nadja. “Artists on Climate Change: The Exhibition Tackling a Global Crisis.” The Guardian
Bury, Louis. “Mary Mattingly’s Poetry of Things.” Hyperallergic Silvers, Mara. “This Harvest Season Check Out Concrete Plant Park.” NPR
2017: McDermon, Daniel. “Storm King Show to Focus on Climate Change in 2018” New York Times “Swale.” New York Post Anzilotti, Eillie. “An Urban Food Forest Takes to the Waterways.” Bloomberg News
Lippe-McGraw, Jordi. “The Swale Floating Food Forest Is Coming to New York City.” Conde Nast
Picht, Jennifer. "NYC’s incredible floating park returns this summer." Time Out New York
Levine, Alexandra S. "A Forest Floats on the Bronx River, With Free Produce." The New York Times
West, Kevin. “Will Work with Food.” Surface Magazine
“Swale Barge.” BBC World
“Swale Barge.” CNN Going Green
“Swale Barge.” CBS
“Swale Barge.” National Public Radio
2016: McCanne, Michael. "Movable Feast: Mary Mattingly's Floating Garden." Art in America Delson, Susan. "An Artist Floats an Edible Forest." The Wall Street Journal Wong, Kristine. "Swale." Stanford Social Innovation Review, CA Steadman, Ryan. "Don't Be Surprised to see a Floating Garden in NYC's Harbor." New York Observer Biddlecombe, Wendy Joan. "Floating Food Forest to Move Through the NY Harbor." Metro New York Anzilotto, Eillie. "An Urban Food Forest Takes to the Waterways." The Atlantic Blakemore, Erin. "New York's Newest Urban Farm Floats." The Smithsonian 2015: Meier, Allison. "Mobile Food Forest to Float the NYC Waterways in Spring 2016." Hyperallergic Morain, Michael. "Rushing river delays plans for Water Works foot-bridge." The Des Moines Register Cotter, Holland. “The Havana Biennial is in Full Throttle.” The New York Times Kaufman, Leslie. “WetLand.” Sculpture Magazine Morain, Michael. “A Ripple Effect.” Des Moines Register Simon, Scott. “As U.S. Reengages with Cuba, Art Museums Make a Trade.” National Public Radio Miranda, Carolina. “Arts have been vital U.S.-Cuba link; the thaw will make them better.” LA Times Chapman, Bruce. “Floating World.” Winston-Salem Journal
2014: Melhamed, Samantha. “WetLand.” The Philadelphia Inquirer Brantley, Ben. “Fringe Festival, WetLand Philadelphia.” The New York Times “WetLand.” Philadelphia Weekly “WetLand.” Philadelphia City Paper Cotter, Holland. "Common Spaces." The New York Times "The Flock House Project." National Public Radio Schwendener, Martha. "A Critic's Picks in Brooklyn, An Embattled Utopia." New York Times DeTurk, Sabrina. "Distant Images, Local Positions." Afterimage Schweichler, Alison. “Many groups are working to effect positive change.” Buffalo News Dabkowski, Colin. “‘Performing Economies’ conference rethinks Buffalo’s development through art and performance.” Buffalo News Foran, Jack. “Performing Economies Colloquium.” ArtVoice Heartney, Eleanor. “Art for the Anthropocene Era.” Art in America
2013: Estafan, Kareem. “Mary Mattingly.” Art in America Epstein, Joanna Ruth. “House and Universe.” ArtNews Chamberlain, Colby. “Mary Mattingly.” Artforum Aletti, Vince. "Nomadographies." The New Yorker Schwendener, Martha. "Mary Mattingly: House and Universe." The New York Times The Lookout. "Mary Mattingly." Art in America Brara, Noor. "The Weight of Mary Mattingly's World." Interview Magazine Lindquist, Greg. "The Life of Objects." Art in America.com Events "Process and Progress: Mary Mattingly and Michael Cataldi." The New York Times
2012: Regan, Margaret. "Scorched Earth." Tucson Weekly Miranda, Miguel. "The Extremophile." China Business News Constantino, Marika B. "Shelter Me." Philippine Star Lippi, Filipina. "Mattingly's Wearable and Portable Architecture." The Manila Bulletin Valiente, Tito Genova. "Wearing Moving Art: Mary Mattingly's Social Vision." Business Mirror Philippines "US Cultural Ambassador to Initiate Public Art Project." The Manila Times Mancuso, Anne. "Photography Shows and Discussions in the Parks." The New York Times Miller, Nick. "Flock Houses Land in New York's Public Spaces." The Architect's Newspaper Schwendener, Martha. "Contempo Boat Artists Float Their Ideas." The Village Voice Vogel, Wendy. “Nature.” The Brooklyn Rail Listings. "Join Artist Mary Mattingly’s Flock House Project." Art + Auction Barone, Laura Elizabeth. “Camp Out: Finding Home in an Unstable World.” Temporary Art Review Diane Toroian Keaggy. “Give me shelter: Laumeier's 'Camp Out' looks at what makes home.” St. Louis Post Kast, Sheilah. "Under Cover: Maryland Morning." WYPR Radio Listings. "Under Cover." Metropolis Magazine Appleton, Andrea. "Under Cover at MICA’s Decker Gallery.” Baltimore City Paper 2011 Boucher, Brian. "Team America - Artists as Cultural Ambassadors." Art in America Costello, Emily. "deCordova Group Show Redefines Architecture." Lincoln Journal Bergeron, Chris. "deCordova Exhibit Encourages Visitors to Interact with Art." The Milford Daily News Risk, Louise. “Mary Mattingly, The Island is also The Origin.” Waikato Times Diaz, Eva. "Dome Culture in the Twenty-first Century." Grey Room Comeau, Nadine. “Mary Mattingly.” Dialect Magazine
2010: Barliant, Claire. “Mary Mattingly: Safe.” Icon Magazine Amara, Luigi. “For an Unsustainable Art.” Fahrenheit Contemporary Art Schwendener, Martha. “Smack Mellon Hosts Condensations of the Social.” Village Voice “A Utopian Barge,” Colors Magazine
2009: Michals, Robin. “Facing the Meltdown.” Afterimage Ryzik, Melena. “The Waterpod Artist Heads for the Roof.” New York Times "The Waterpod Project." Sculpture Magazine Turner, Christopher. “A Floating Island of Sustainability.” Nature Magazine Danigelis, Alyssa. “Eating From the Future.” Discovery Channel Listings. “Water Pod.” Sunday Times Style Magazine Alexander, Heather. “Waterpod to Combat Rising Seas.” BBC News Williams, Brian. “Mary Mattingly on the Waterpod,” MSNBC Ryzik, Melena. “Life and Art, Afloat on a Barge in the New York Harbor,” New York Times Kurutz, Steven. “A Fluid Definition of Self Sufficiency.” New York Times Lazarowitz, Elizabeth. “Water Pod.” New York Daily News Danigelis, Alyssa. “The Water Pod Project.” Discovery News Jothianandan, Shakthi. “The Water Pod.” Time Out New York Rosenberg, Karen. “Nomadographies.” New York Times Aletti, Vince. “Mary Mattingly, Goings on About Town.” The New Yorker “Nomadographies.” Datensklaven O’neill-Butler, Lauren. “Mary Mattingly, 500 Words.” ArtForum,
2008: “Le Prix Pictet & le développement durable / Nouvelle distinction.” Photographie Magazine “Prix Pictet Shortlist Winners.” Financial Times "Vision d'artiste Apres le Deluge." VSD Magazine Genocchio, Benjamin. "Today's Landscapes, Tomorrow's Dystopia." New York Times
2007: “Gundel-Maria Busse, Schon Und Schrecklich.” Main Echo “Von Sylvia Staude, Holt Uns Endlich Ab.” Frankfurter Rundschau "Faut-Il Climatiser La Terre?" Le Monde Magazine, France
“Ecology:Communication with Nature." InterCommunication Magazine "Frontier, Mary Mattingly." Drome Magazine Sharp, Miranda. “Work by Mary Mattingly.” C-Photo Magazine "Photography in New York." Japanese Esquire Magazine
2006: Wolff, Rachel. “An Inconvenient Half-Truth.” New York Magazine “Ecotopia,” Aperture Magazine Schwendener, Martha. “Mary Mattingly at Robert Mann Gallery.” ArtForum
AWARDS and RESIDENCIES 2020: Wave Hill, Bronx, NY
Artist-in-residence at the Brooklyn Public Library, NY 2019: University of Colorado Museum of Art Residency with adjacent Fellowship SEED Lab, Anchorage Museum, Anchorage AK
New York Foundation for the Arts Sculpture Grant 2018: Awarded, BRIC 40 Year Anniversary Rauschenberg Foundation Captiva Residency 2017: Monet’s Garden, Giverny, FR 2016: Watermill Center, Watermill, NY 2015: A Blade of Grass Fellowship, New York, NY The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council President’s Award for Visual Art 2014: Light Work Residency Program, Syracuse, NY 2013: The James L. Knight Foundation Grant 2012: Eyebeam Center for Art and Technology Fellowship smARTpower, Artist Ambassador to the Philippines, Bronx Museum and U.S. Department of State 2011: Harpo Foundation Grant The Jerome Foundation Travel Grant New York Foundation for the Arts Sculpture Grant Art Omi Artist-In-Residence, Ghent, NY 2010: Art Matters Foundation Travel Grant Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation Year-Long Studio Residency 2008: Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Workspace Residency
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS Des Moines Art Center, Iowa Yale University, CT Portland Art Museum, OR Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de La Habana, Cuba The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY Deutsche Bank, Germany International Center of Photography, NY Stanford University, Stanford, CA Art Omi, NY Light Work, Syracuse NY Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, New York, NY DePaul University Museum of Art, Chicago, Il Friends of Photography, NY Rose Goldsen Archive, Cornell University The Richard Massey Foundation for Arts and Sciences, NY deCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA The Roswell Museum of Art, Roswell, NM Cleveland Clinic Art Program Fidelity Investments National Resources Defense Council