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Documented artwork / site-specific sculptural installation

To breathe full and free: a declaration, a re-visioning, a correction (19°36’16.9”N 72°13’07.0”W, 42° 21’48.762” N 71°1’59.628” W)

Firelei Báez

Credit as documented: Firelei Báez

Firelei Báez reimagined Haiti's Sans-Souci palace ruins inside the ICA Watershed as if they had emerged from receding water. Visitors could pass through the sculptural architecture, encountering painted surfaces informed by West African indigo patterns and Caribbean marine growth. A suspended blue canopy and audio concerning migration between Boston Harbor and the Caribbean extended the installation's environment. A ciguapa mural connected the built fragments with Báez's recurring folkloric imagery.

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Documented work. Current availability, ownership and installation requirements must be confirmed with the artist.

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Verified artwork image for To breathe full and free: a declaration, a re-visioning, a correction (19°36’16.9”N 72°13’07.0”W, 42° 21’48.762” N 71°1’59.628” W)
Verified artwork imageImage: icaboston.org ↗© Firelei Báez (as credited at source)© 2026 Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston (as credited at source)Photo: Chuck Choi. (as credited at source)

At a glance

Year / version
2021
Materials
Not documented
Documented setting
indoor
Dimensions
Not documented
Dimensions apply to
Not documented
Availability
Unconfirmed

Places & versions

Installation history

Historical presentations. A past installation does not establish the current location or suitability for a new site.

  1. July 3–September 6, 2021

    ICA Watershed, East Boston, Massachusetts

    Installation source

Materials and construction

Eva Respini curated the 2021 commission, presented from July through September. The museum characterized it as the artist's largest installation at that time. Its architectural substrate and complete dimensions are not specified in the reviewed pages. Stephen Hamilton's accompanying Harbor Room presentation was a separate project and is excluded from this artwork identity.

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