Sculpture Center Long Island City summer show In Practice features new works. The creepy dank basement of the Sculpture Center at once houses and compliments the artist’s works bringing a sculptural environment to these works.

Michael Ashkin’s project consists of a miniaturized model of a fictional urban agglomeration at a scale of 1:128. Built entirely of found cardboard, stretching the length of the central basement tunnel at SculptureCenter the piece emulates a stretch that would extend for two miles and can be only be observed from one point of view situated well beyond its area of maximum density. The model is based on an architectural/urban typology increasingly found on the outskirts of many cities as a result of rapid urbanization.

Virginia Overton’s sculptures use material such as beams, pallets squished between walls with shims, and large sonotubes. Overton prefers to highlight what she calls “unskilled skills” – like driving a truck and stacking chairs or pallets. The series comes to a pinacle in the video of the spotlight that grows ever omnipresent as the viewer advances through the dark basement.

Cindy Loehr’s The Advisor says, “the revelation we’re ready for is the revelation we’ll get.” The Advisor’s ghost-like figure is inspired by a cut out pattern from an old paper project book. Though larger-than-life, it is unassuming in its construction: simple pattern pieces held together by nuts and bolts. Between decoy and protagonist, the humorous figure of the Advisor delivers philosophy and idiosyncratic ruminations, on life, death and hope. Combining prosaic descriptions of life in the city with aphoristic existential advice, small books of the speech are available for visitors to take home.