"Breathing Plan -11°" part of a larger series of work by artist Nari Ward. Described by Lehmann Maupin Gallery in New York for his 2015 exhibition, Ward creates these works "by applying darkening patina to the bottom of his shoes and stepping on the copper panels, leaving a trace of his performative gesture. Ward has also punctured geometric patterns into each panel, which reference traditional Congolese “cosmograms,” an ancient prayer symbol that represents the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Ward first came across these symbols during a visit to the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia, which was part of the Underground Railroad, and where he came upon 26 distinct sets of patterns. At the church, holes were cut in the floorboards to allow escaping slaves to breathe as they moved clandestinely under the church. "