With everyone 16 years and older eligible for the vaccine in New York as of April 6th, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. So… what better way to celebrate than with an art light installation?
There are a number of places around the city with dazzling light displays. Check them out before they fade. But, remember, the future’s so bright, you gotta wear shades.
Reflect | Jen Lewin Studio
Domino Park
300 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg
March 5th – April 15th, every day between 8am – 10pm
Artist Jen Lewin created “Reflect” for the Domino Park waterfront. A traveling, immersive, multisensory art experience, Reflect is reminiscent of the joyful playfulness of the FAO Schwarz giant piano but instead of creating music, visitors’ steps create light displays. The exhibit spans 2,400 square feet on the Brooklyn waterfront and encourages self-reflection with social distancing.
This installation comes at just the right moment, people are craving safe ways to enjoy the city,” Kate Gavriel, the cultural affairs director for the park’s owners, developer Two Trees, told The Brooklyn Paper.
Breathing Pavilion | Ekene Ijeoma | Photo: Kris Graves
Downtown Brooklyn
The Plaza at 300 Ashland Place, Fort Greene/Downtown Brooklyn
March 16 — May 11th
Another bright idea from Two Trees Management Co, "Breathing Pavilion," is made up of 20 nine-foot two-tone illuminated inflatable columns. Created by Ekene Ijeoma, a professor of Media Arts and Science at MIT, and founder/director of the Poetic Justice group at MIT Media Lab, the lights dim and brighten illustrating meditative breathing techniques.
The exhibit, presented as a collab with the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Van Alen Institute, and Two Trees Management, was “Created in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racial injustice in the United States, Breathing Pavilion offers sanctuary at a time of intense hardship and loss, suggests a paradigm shift towards communion and meditative stillness, and creates an accessible space of reprieve when the act of breathing itself is under siege.”
Despite its very worthy and important message, it must also be noted that the circle resembles an offering of ketchup and mustard-slathered Yankee Stadium hot dogs. Despite that adding to the appeal, admonish any thoughts of hunger and focus on breathing in and out.
Electric Dandelions | Abram Santa Cruz & Liquid PXL
South Street Seaport
19 Fulton Street, South Street Seaport
On show until April 30, 2021
Curated by Art House Live and Fired-up Management, artist Abram Santa Cruz and LA-based art collective Liquid PXL created the dynamic firework-like display, Electric Dandelions For all of the brilliance and none of the pollan-induce allergies, check out the ten 28-foot structures as they flash light sequences as soon as the sun sets.
Erin Cadigan
On permanent display, the Empire State Building has lit up the sky since 1976. You can follow their schedule on this site to keep up with their brilliant display of support for a variety of causes. The building just shone bright gold and black in solidarity with the #StopAsianHate. It will shine blue on April 2nd for Autism awareness and in pastel fades on April 3rd and 4th to celebrate Easter.
The official site states, “We maintain a tradition of changing the color of the lights to recognize important occasions, holidays, and organizations throughout the year. Since 2012, the building has used a state-of-the-art LED lighting system, capable of displaying more than 16 million colors.”
Did we miss any others? Share them with us in the comments below!
