The Institute of Contemporary Art's Watershed in East Boston has reopened for its 2026 season with the exhibition "Lucy Raven: Rounds," featuring two large-scale installations by New York-based artist Lucy Raven. The show includes "Hardpan," a kinetic light sculpture co-commissioned by the ICA and Barbican Centre, and "Murderers Bar," a 44-minute film documenting the demolition of a concrete dam on the Klamath River in Northern California. Both works explore themes of industrial history, extraction, and environmental transformation, with the Watershed's former factory setting amplifying the industrial resonance.
This exhibition matters because it marks the U.S. premieres of Raven's works and continues the ICA Watershed's tradition of commissioning site-responsive art that engages with Boston's industrial and maritime heritage. Raven's focus on the largest dam removal in American history highlights Indigenous activism and ecological restoration, connecting contemporary art to urgent environmental and social issues. The show also underscores the growing trend of museums using unconventional spaces to present immersive, large-scale installations that challenge traditional exhibition formats.