It was my pleasure by Anastasia Pelias Image: Rendering of “It was my pleasure” at Saint John Park
Rendering of “It was my pleasure” at Saint John Park
It was my pleasure by Anastasia Pelias Image: Process picture of building the mound for the sculpture
It was my pleasure by Anastasia Pelias Image: Photo of the concrete slab where the sculpture will be placed

It was my pleasure

  • Fiberglass, steel, soundscape 
  • 88 x 92 x 53 in
    (223.52 x 233.68 x 134.62 cm)
  • Anastasia Pelias
 
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It was my pleasure responds to feminist histories of spirituality and power, through a meditation on ancient Greek history. The sculpture is a reimagining of the tripod of the Oracle of Delphi, a position occupied by a priestess known as the Pythia, who foretold the future for individuals and heads of state who travelled to Delphi to seek her counsel. This position was occupied by women for more than one thousand years (1400 BC to the 4th century AD), and exerted great influence throughout the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian empires; emperors made no significant decision without her consultation.

The sculpture, as well as the scent and sound that accompany it, is intended as a meditative space for contemplation and for honoring divine feminine energy across space and time. Through this sculpture, Pelias seeks to create connections between her native city of New Orleans and her family’s ancestral country, Greece.

The sculpture was commissioned in 2021 for "Prospect.5: Yesterday we said tomorrow" and was first unveiled at Capdevielle Place Park. It was purchased by Arts New Orleans for the City of New Orleans Percent for Art Collection and permanently re-sited to its current location in 2024.

  • Subject Matter: Feminism
  • Created: 2021
  • Current Location: St. John Park, on Saint Bernard Ave and Allen Toussaint Blvd, between New York St and Frankfort St.
  • Collections: NOLA Percent for Art
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