Art in the Garbage

      In 2009 artist Loren Naji began work on a 3000 pound spherical sculpture/time-capsule titled “They Have Landed”. Two years later in 2011, Naji established an agreement with RTA to install it on their property, adjacent to the West Side Market and the Lorain Carnegie Bridge. Naji was to retain ownership of the sculpture. Naji held a gala where community members filled the time capsule with personal items. The sculpture/time-capsule was to be opened at a second gala in 2050.  

   In 2018 artist Loren Naji resurfaced the sculpture with graphics for a fresh new look, in keeping with the Ohio City neighborhood’s blossoming growth. 

    In 2019, unbeknownst to the artist RTA relinquished the property to the city of Cleveland for development. The city and developers began plans for construction of a huge complex on the South East corner of West 25th and Lorain Avenue, including the property housing the sculpture. Naji was never contacted by the builders, developers, or city during this time regarding the development, or its impact on his art. 

     It wasn’t until a friend contacted him in the summer of 2022 that Naji found his sculpture buried in the already underway construction zone, mistreated and covered in debris. 

    In the following weeks, Naji returned to find his sculpture now completely missing. Believing it was stolen, Naji made a police report. He later inquired with the developers as of its whereabouts. He was told they attempted to remove the sculpture. 

   Because of the gross lack of communication, they were unaware there was an interior steel plate holding it down. They tore it off the ground resulting in its destruction, with the contents of the time capsule spilling out among the debris. All that remains is the eight-foot-deep cement pad and four bolts that held the sculpture down, and only a small portion of the original time capsule contents. 

    The art was discarded in a dumpster.