Presidio Habitats

The first site-based art exhibition conceived for a national park. Presidio Habitats invited an international group of artists, architects, and designers to submit habitat proposals for the animal residents of the Presidio. The 11 newly commissioned projects on view in the landscape are diverse in approach, material, and purpose. They range from a set of elegant blue-and-white glazed porcelain sculptures conceived as habitats for the western screech owl by renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, to Nathan Lynch’s reimagining of Aesop’s hare and tortoise race. Visitors are invited to experience the installations and to explore the Presidio’s diverse landscapes — historic forests, a community garden and nursery, stunning vistas overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate, stately historic neighborhoods, and a hidden creek. A pavilion designed by Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects houses an exhibition that provides background and context, presenting all of the submissions received.