12. Point of Action
Photo by Cameron Blaylock
The Ninth Annual “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” season kicked off this week with the unveiling of a new Flatiron Plaza art installation, Point of Action. The public art piece invites New Yorkers to contemplate connections with each other amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to move forward together. Designed by Nina Cooke John of Studio Cooke John, Point of Action is part of the 23 Days of Flatiron Cheer campaign to support local businesses in the Flatiron and NoMad.
The interactive piece provides multiple opportunities for connection with fellow viewers and with passersby while maintaining a safe social distance. Six-foot circles affixed onto the Flatiron Public Plazas create nine “spotlights,” each with its own vertical metal frame. Ropes weave through each frame and part, like a curtain figuratively pulled aside, to make room for the viewer to take the spotlight, connect with other viewers across the Plazas, and take action as they move out and beyond. Lighting emitted from a halo above each circle strengthens the framing; lights embedded into the sides of each frame add another layer to the viewer.