Pioneer Works challenges conventional wisdom by fostering the collaboration of art and science, two distinct but highly prolific fields. Located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Pioneer Works is a non-profit foundation that didn’t always strive to challenge social quota. The building dates back to 1866 where it was first used as an iron manufacturer until it was burnt down circa 1880. The phoenix- like life of Pioneer Works was reinstated in 2011 when Dustin Yellin purchased the building and heralded artistic renovations for its walls and purpose.

As our guide Athena navigated us through open spaces and concrete staircases she would sometimes have to raise her voice to be heard over the construction going on. Pioneer Works is malleable in not only its structure but intentions as well. When asked if the art exhibitions abide by certain themes, the program director Ella replied that it wasn’t a curated selection and that Pioneer Works is a “hub for creativity” that “allows dialogue” amongst scientist and artists.

Red Hook does not mirror the ostentatious scene of Times Square. From the outside, it is hard to believe that such remarkable innovation is happening inside Pioneer Works. The walk from the train station after getting off from the F train was a voyage on its own. The fifteen minute walk can make one feel like Alice trapped in Wonderland. Red Hook is its own place because of how remote it is from the rest of the world so be ready to be accosted by screaming neighbors and odd scenery.

As I walked through Pioneer Works, my eyes caught on a sculpture made out of many layers of glass. I was looking at an art piece by the founder Dustin Yellin. The figure was that of a man who appeared trapped in a glass box, like a mime. However, more impressive was that the man was made out of images cut out of magazines. We were then led next door to Yellin’s studio where we saw even more of his three-dimensional figures. Randy, an artist at Pioneer Works, told us that Yellin was partly influenced by China’s “Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses” and that he sought to contribute to the practice of psychogeography.

The beginning of Yellin’s icemen can be traced back to a wayward bee that got stuck on one of his works. He decided to coat the collage with more resin whereupon he realized that the bee was frozen in entirety, contributing to a very distinct and sublime art piece. This sort of innovation is directly mirrored in Pioneer Works, where one can truly see pioneers at work.