18. Cara Lynch: ‘I’m So Happy You’re Here’

Courtesy of NYC Parks

An installation by artist Cara Lynch titled I’m So Happy You’re Here has just debuted at Virginia Park in the Bronx as part of the UNIQLO Park Expressions Grant program. Lynch has created numerous public art projects, which include pieces here in New York. A common theme throughout her work is that of tension; in I’m So Happy You’re Here, she explores tensions between high and low and the contrast of public and private space. The mural, which is painted on the ground, contains patterns that are reminiscent of traditional parquet flooring, a status symbol found in the homes of wealthy individuals.

By deliberately choosing to reference these patterns in a public mural, Lynch twists the manner in which these patterns were typically viewed, not only elucidating the tensions that exist between the private and public spheres, but challenging notions of