MARTA PUBLIC ART PROGRAM ARTBOUND PRESENTS ‘AFRONAUTS’ BY
ELEY
ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta
Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) public art program, Artbound, proudly presents
“Afronauts,” a public installation by photographer and visual artist ELEY
exploring movement, identity, and belonging within spaces of transition. The
installation opens Saturday, May 30, from noon to 3 p.m. at Oakland Station in
the Lee Street and Murphy Street tunnels.
Installed within a space defined by constant movement, “Afronauts”
transforms the transit environment into a reflection on migration, discovery,
and connection. Through portraiture, documentary photography, sound, and
immersive visual storytelling, the installation follows individuals navigating
unfamiliar environments while reflecting on universal questions surrounding
safety, value, and belonging.
The presentation offers a first look at stories from “Afronauts,”
an upcoming book currently in progress. Stylized portraiture introduces each
explorer through custom costuming and diasporic visual language before leading
viewers into layered documentary imagery and landscapes of transition that
trace emotional journeys between departure and arrival.
Designed as a multi-sensory experience, the installation includes
an accompanying soundscape blending music, atmospheric tones, and audio
inspired by space, memory, and movement. Visitors may access the soundscape
through a QR code on site. Headphones are encouraged.
Rooted in ELEY’s own experience leaving the American South in
search of expanded perspective and independence, “Afronauts” reflects on the
quiet courage required to create home while in motion.
The event is free and open to the public.
WHAT:
MARTA Artbound presents
“Afronauts” by ELEY
WHEN:
Saturday, May 30
Noon to 3 p.m.
WHERE:
Oakland Station
Lee Street and Murphy Street tunnels
1400 Lee St. SW, Atlanta, Ga. 30310
About ELEY
ELEY is a photographer and visual artist whose work explores
identity, community, and the inner lives of Black and brown communities.
Working across documentary and conceptual practices, her work exists between
observation and imagination, blending lived experience with constructed visual
storytelling. With nearly two decades of professional practice and an MFA from
the Savannah College of Art and Design, ELEY’s work spans commercial and fine
art spaces while engaging themes of migration, belonging, and cultural memory.
About Artbound:
One percent of MARTA’s
annual budget is allocated to Artbound, MARTA’s public art program. Artbound
works to enhance the transit experience through visual and performing arts,
bringing vibrancy and creativity to MARTA stations and vehicles. The program includes
permanent and temporary artworks, live performances and artist
residencies
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