Sophie Floyd

Multimedia

Destiny Manifested
September – December 2023
As a newcomer to both St. Louis and university life, I created Destiny Manifested as a physical expression of the restriction I felt while trying to understand and move through the city — a feeling mirrored in its built environment and historical context. In the fall of 2023, I took weekly trips via MetroLink and MetroBus from my Skinker-DeBaliviere apartment to neighborhoods like Downtown West, Midtown, Grand Avenue, and Forest Park Southeast, exploring each area on foot. 


Initially drawn to the city’s architectural details, I quickly became struck by the abundance of fences, “No Trespassing” signs, and surveillance infrastructure that limited public access and movement. This realization led to the construction of two sculptural works: a mountainous pile of industrial warehouses and a Gateway Arch made of fences and gates, both built on reclaimed cardboard. Featuring signage, security cameras, traffic cones, and hand-cut railings, these imagined landscapes challenge viewers to navigate them with caution—just as I had to navigate the ones in reality.