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Stumbling upon the Golden Door mini-golf installation at the East end of
Hamilton Park near the new Silverman Hamilton Park development was like believing you were waking up only to find yourself in another dream. Mini-golf? In Jersey City? A plywood boat? The opportunity was too good to pass up, so my friend Juan and I found ourselves swept in through the 'golden door' minigolf entrance, past the ticket booth and starting our first round, score card in hand, of what would be my first ever art installation/mini golf experience.
The driving force behind Jersey City's diverse immigrant background is addressed with the title 'The Golden Door', referencing JC's strong ties to the immigrant process as a neighbor to New York City, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Everything at the makeshift course, from the entryway to the fountain to the holes themselves, hedge off this concept of JC as a 'golden door' to the American dream. A group of young and emerging artists, assembled by the Jersey City Museum, was chosen to represent their own vision of Jersey City as a gateway to
the new and exciting life that lay before them or other loved ones as they came to America to start a new life.
The very first hole had a plywood ship constructed as both an obstacle and a means of conveying the ball across to its destination. called "Arrival" by Asha Ganpat, it showed how many people first encountered America and specifically Jersey City, en route over the sea. Next came a nod to golf's Scottish roots with the heroically titled "Royal and Ancient" by Darren Jones & Ryan Roa. "Pilgrim's Progress," the third hole in the series by Tom McGlynn, had 3 separate starting points, two of which set you back into a sandpit and the third and last one putting you near the hole, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the inaccessibility of success to most recently arrived immigrants.
Next came the most challenging and eye-catching work in the course, Hiroshi Kumagai's "The Long Narrow Way to Heaven." With a par of 485, this structure was an elongated, narrow isosceles triangle of green up to a flat square top about 4 inches across and down, with just enough space to fit the hole. The sides of the triangle referenced landmarks and structures related to Jersey City and nearby areas (a sign for the turnpike stands out.) The back of the triangle was a message written on wood referencing the struggles of reaching a country without the expected 'streets paved with gold.' It was the most directly expressed encounter with our country's oft-maligned immigration system.
Next came Amanda Thackray's "High Road vs. Low Road," in which players had to choose between two different paths, one elevated and one below, to reach their goal (the hole.) Results were unexpected. The "Stairs of Separation" installation by Victoria Calabro gave players a chance to aim at three different 'paths' into America, symbolizing the immigrant's entry into the country, stopover at quarantine or forced return back to their country of origin. Kai Vierstra's "The Sneek Snake," combining a plaster cast of his crying face (recalling his grandfather's difficult entry into America as an immigrant) "crying" tears with water that then streamed down a winding temporary river into a basin, was one of the more unusual set-ups on view at The Golden Door. It also proved remarkably frustrating to putt the ball over without having it wind up in the basin below!
The final 3 holes were definitely saved for last with good reason. Laura Napier's "Empty your Wallet," addressing pay-offs of different methods used to get the ball from start to finish, was an instructive take on 'taking the easy way out' and where it lands you. One seemingly straightforward path into a stack that then shot your ball out toward the hole actually sent your ball back to you, whereas the longer way around the stack took you closer to the hole. Nyugen E. Smith's "The Glass Ceiling" was the most complex and interactive piece in the exhibit. With a par of 15, (only 470 less than Kumagai's "The Long Narrow Road to Heaven"), it took maneuvering to position the ball onto 4 interconnected platforms along the route to the hole, involving several ramps, an 'elevator' for your ball at one point, and the eventual clear plastic hole covering which required assistance in lifting to reach the goal. Finally, Risa Puno's bonus "Leap of Faith" involved a loop-de-loop that carried your ball over and up to a possible
points' reduction, if skill and chance intervened. Unfortunately for us, there was no pay-off in the leap of faith that we took, but if The Golden Door installation taught us anything, it was that keeping our heads up and having a good laugh at the screw-ups along the way made the journey a whole lot more fun!
