Ruins of Empire (2022), the artist's first large-scale sculpture, appropriates the Statue of Freedom, a historic bronze that sits atop the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. In Williams’ recreation, the earthen sculpture sinks into the earth fifteen degrees off center. 

Around this work and the nearby sculpture Vertigo, Williams has introduced amaranth, a resilient plant that flourishes even in the disturbed and nutrient-deprived soils of urban ruins, and is classified as a “noxious weed” by state and federal agencies. Wild plants grow abundantly around both of Williams’ sculptures, with bees and bugs humming in the surrounding tall grass.

This exhibition is curated by Sara O’Keeffe, Senior Curator, with Guy Weltchek, Curatorial Assistant.