It is intriguing to imagine Manhattan before humans altered every inch of the island-- black bears and bobcats walked where Broadway now lies. This series was inspired by the Mannahatta Project, in which scientists extrapolated 400 years back in time to infer what the island was like, ecologically and topographically. I created flags with images of animals that were likely residents of Manhattan then, which I placed around the island; some in the Battery Park, some on the street in midtown, some in
Central Park, and elsewhere the creatures might have roamed. This act might be considered as a (tongue-in-cheek) reclamation, with the animals themselves planting a flag to stake their claim, or they could simply serve as a reminder of what once was.

Link: Mannahatta Project