Matthew Gray's 7,000-Pound Sugar Obelisk in Abandoned Baltimore Warehouse

Artist Matthew Gray (b. 1969, Baltimore, USA) has installed a colossal sugar sculpture inside a derelict former warehouse at 2200 Asquith Street, Baltimore. The work, titled 'God Bless the Child' (2017), uses 7,000 pounds of Domino sugar, 2,520 kilograms of corn syrup, and 282 kilograms of water. The warehouse, located in East Baltimore, was damaged by a devastating fire in 2014 and has since remained abandoned. Gray describes the site as 'wounded, dramatic, truly epic,' perfect for emphasizing contrast between the appealing sugar obelisk and the decaying architecture. The sculpture will gradually dissolve over time due to weather and insects attracted by the sugar and flavors of wild cherry, mandarin, and banana. The installation prompts reflection on the condition of poor American neighborhoods, disused factories, lack of redevelopment projects, and potential real estate speculation. Gray's work echoes Kara Walker's 2014 installation at the Domino Sugar Refinery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where she used 4 tons of Domino sugar to create a giant white sphinx. That refinery, one of the world's largest sugar plants, operated from 1882 to 2002 and was demolished after the exhibition; a residential development with 104 apartments and about 87,000 registered buyer inquiries as of February 2017 now occupies the site.