Visual Artist, Critical Theorist, New York City, USA

Dr. Mollie Serena’s neighbourhood project in the New York City Housing Authority (Nycha) came to life during the heatwave of 2021. I happily watched the sun illuminate Mollie’s creation: a 360-piece rainbow designed to brighten a dull fence that tends to surround most Nycha properties. Mollie’s vision is part of a larger initiative to "Open the Edge” in the public housing areas of the New York City, to allow for more green spaces, fewer fenced-in areas, more playgrounds and art installations; all in the hopes of beautifying and dignifying the brown/black/grey landscape of the public housing enclosures.

Ms. Mollie Serena’s piece to the puzzle is called “Lighting the Edge”. It took shape in the area of Lillian Wald Houses of the East Village in Manhattan. Mollie worked closely with all the involved parties and obtained the funding, as well as the necessary approvals from the city, the housing board and most importantly from the veteran tenants who ended up loving and supporting the project. She even secured a sign-off from the NYPD, to allow a performer and a dj on the day of unveiling.

If you pause and observe the action on the sidewalk around Mollie’s project you can witness passersby smiling as they are treated to a brightly lit pathway expanding across the sidewalk as the sun travels from the East River toward the Hudson. The apartment residents travel through this light tunnel on their way to work, as they lug groceries, pick up kids from school and travel to and from the bodega. It is the first welcome sight for the new tenants, their visiting family and friends, New Yorkers and out of towners alike. It uplifts.

I’m proud of Ms. Mollie Serena for spearheading her vision into reality, coming out of the pandemic year with a bright vision for her community. It’s not easy in New York City to push through a new public space idea, an art project, a change of any kind. In a city where every inch is accounted for, fought over and priced to the max, Mollie succeeded. This colourful and energizing installation reflects Mollie’s personality to a T. Mollie, an always bright and positive presence, overspilling with energy, full of ideas and ambitions. “I have to leave my house 15 minutes earlier these days, because so many residents stop to talk to me about the colourful fence”, says Mollie. No surprise there, because on the unveiling day, long after the volunteers went home, Mollie sat for hours securing and perfecting her creation. Residents saw the effort, appreciated and returned the love.

1. Name

Dr. Mollie Serena.

2. Where is your hometown?

New York City.

3. What is your profession/career/title/self-label/designation? What does your average day look like?

Visual Artist, Critical Theorist.

My days consist of creating artwork, developing projects for different non-profit organizations, community outreach, applications.

4. What did you study in school?

The timeline of my studies is a follows:

2016-2020 Obtained a Ph.D. in Communication and Philosophy from the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland.

2014-2016 Masters of Art from the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland.

2004-2008 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Parsons The New School for Design in New York City.

2006-2007 International Exchange. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.  Melbourne, Australia.

5. What was the journey like to get where you are (in life and career-wise)? Write about some of the achievements that you are most proud of. What was the moment for you that changed your life (in your personal life and/or career?) that set you on the current path in life?

Six years of studying under some of the world’s most influential minds at the European Graduate School has had an immense impact on the way I perceive the world. My career is always developing and expanding in new directions, there was no particular moment when everything changed, there was just a build-up of small opportunities that led to bigger ones.

6. How is your life different from what you pictured at 20?

At 20, I was more idealistic, full of ideas and I had set a specific timeline for the future. But sometimes life does not always go according to one’s perceived timeline and you just need to make the best of what comes your way.

7. Was there a time when life knocked you down or out and how did you get back up on your feet?

Yes, absolutely.  Life always has a way of amplifying the harder times, especially old problems that have never been resolved. Best to lay the past to rest, sooner rather than later. When you hit rock bottom, you need to recognize that there is only one place to go from there, and that’s up. Staying focused on a project and finding the little things to make yourself happy each day, leads to weeks, then to months, until the problem is a distant memory.

9. Knowing what we know now in a current political climate, can women be "all that we can be" in today's world? What is the way forward, as you see it, for "feminist values"?

Women should pursue anything that pleases them, be true to themselves, and have opportunities to achieve success without constraint. Constraint comes in myriad forms with the ones set forth by historical notions of how a ‘woman’ should ‘be in the world’, ones set by family or religion, others by contemporary society, and likely the harshest-the ones we impose on ourselves. When a female reaches a certain age, certain things become expected of her. To be a daughter, caretaker, provider, mother, wife, or partner-TO BE this or that-but no one should feel compelled to be an actor in their own lives.

As human beings, we are apex predators borne with natural instincts developed over thousands of years of evolution on ‘how to be in the world.’ In continental philosophy, there is an existential concept of ‘being in the world’ (Dasien), argued endlessly by (mainly male) philosophers, which is being defined by one’s own existence or inhabiting the world to which they belong and the relationship between subject and object. In a nutshell, they are arguing about the single-person experience in the world and the awareness of being confronted with the purely human issues of mortality and consciousness. The paradox is that we are all a part of society, surrounded by other persons’ bodies and thoughts, but in essence, we are alone with ourselves and our thoughts to contend with.

This is where identity comes into play in feminism, who are you? What makes up the essence of who you are? Are you dictated by the social rules set forth by the world, or do you create your own standard? When a woman can answer these questions honestly for herself, then she can be “all that you can be” in the world, because she knows herself. You are all that you can be when you can just BE in the world.

There was a long period when I was growing up in the 90s, where it was considered negative or anti-social to be considered a feminist, so much that it could be used as an insult against someone. As I see it, many of the socio-political issues that are present in the world can be boiled down to education and experience. The lessons we learn from our parents, to their kids who bring it to school, and the formal education given by teachers as mandated by the government. It is these intersections in education that mold the moral compasses that guide us through adolescence into adulthood. Sexism and racism are two such issues that have been perpetuated through generational hate passed to their progeny and propagated in textbooks. Just like disparaging someone over gender, sex, race, identity, etc. developed over generations, breaking the boundaries of ignorance will occur over generations. There is no overnight fix, but a million little successes that accumulate over time can lead to greater change. Education is key to advancing a more fair value system in society.

10. Where in the world do you feel “tallest” (i.e. where is your happy place)?

I have always been a coastal beach person, but after spending my first summer in the alps of Saas-Fee, Switzerland I found myself missing it all year. There is a magic about this small town from its towering mountains with no horizon line, car-less streets, and home town quaint vibes. It wasn’t just the physical environment, but my peers at the European Graduate School and the locals who I befriended all became a part of the experience.

11. What extracurricular activities/hobbies are you most proud of? Why?

Creating artwork and developing my projects consumes much of my time, but I always try to accommodate time to reset by doing alternate activities. I love exploring nature and with that comes extensive travel, swimming, kayaking, camping, hiking, rock mining, and collecting geological specimens. Being in nature rests my overactive mind.

12. What do you want to be when you grow up? Future goals/challenges?

My future goal is to exhibit the artwork that I have been developing for the past four years at art fairs and galleries while continuing to serve my community and develop outdoor public art installations for public consumption. Some of my biggest challenges are finding adequate studio space in Manhattan in order to develop larger projects and publishing the two books I have written for my Master’s and Ph.D.

13. What fears are you still hoping to overcome?

Fear of failing to accomplish all the goals I have set for myself.

14. Anything you'd do differently if you had another go at life?

I would have pushed the development of my art practice sooner by exhibiting and pursuing much larger projects.

Nature and science inspire my visual aesthetics, from preserving the environment, collecting geological specimens, climate change awareness, to exposing the unseen colors of the electromagnetic spectrum.

16. What are you hopeful about?

My idealistic side is hopeful that humanity will take climate change more seriously, but my realistic side knows that the higher-ups move too slow.

17. What are some ingredients to a good life? Has the global pandemic changed your perspective about the world, about your life, your goals and dreams?

Some ingredients to a good life are establishing friends that are open, having a goal to focus on and develop, being in a climate that suits you, and being a decent human being.

The global pandemic has been and still is a constant reminder as to how precious and precarious life is. Being surrounded by so much tragedy for such an extended period of time, it is inevitable that one’s perspective must change with so much time to contemplate. It has been said that the one thing that money can’t buy is time, but this year has been a reflection of what one could do with excess amounts of time and who a person chooses to share that time with. I felt compelled to make the most of the time in quarantine by pushing my art practice forward in any way I could.

18. What are (at least) three qualities you most love about yourself and why? What are your superpowers?

I’m good at solving problems, relating to people, and I’m resilient.

19. What advice would you give your 14-year-old self?

Start your vision for your future as early as you can, take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.

20. What are you reading now? (what books do you gift most and what are your favorite reads?)

“Towards a Philosophy of Photography”, by Villem Flusser

“On Photography”, by Susan Sontag

“Object-Oriented Ontology”, by Graham Harman

“Hyperobjects”, by Timothy Morton

“The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction”, by Walter Benjamin

“Art as Experience”, by John Dewey

“Philosophy of Art”, by Hegel

21. Who is a WOW Woman in your world who inspires you and why?

• Destiny Mata - Destiny is an amazing documentary photographer who focuses on people, communities, and subcultures.

• Lilah Mejia - Lilah is a pillar of the NYCHA and Lower East Side community. She regularly brings food to people in need, runs several community fridges on the Lower East Side, and is planning to run for city council in 2025.

• Alexandra Jamieson - Alex is an artist, coach, author, nutritionist, and a documentary filmmaker. She was the nutritionist on the Academy Award-nominated documentary film, Supersize Me.

22. Where can others find you/your work (links to websites, blogs, etc.)?

linktr.ee/Mollieserena

mollieserena.com

@mollie_serena & @hyperspacetraveler

Bonus Qs:

1. If you didn't have to work anymore what would you do with your days? I would still create art every day and work with my community.

2. If you could be anyone for a day who would you be? Dan Lam or Cindy Sherman

3. If you could relive one year in your life, which one would it be? The year I lived in Australia was the best year of my life. By throwing myself into a country I knew nothing about, without knowing anyone, I uncovered new things about myself that I wouldn’t have found otherwise.