Changing Spaces
Changing Spaces. Courtesy of Tishman Speyer.

This August be sure to check out some of New York City’s best new public art installations complete with interactive elements and intricate designs. Some of the topics explored in these installations include the death of loved ones and the prevalence of gender-based violence in American society. Head to Rockefeller Center to be mesmerized by Jeppe Hein’s water installation Changing Spaces or Cherry Tree Park to view a crocheted mural of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Keep reading to learn all about the 8 best art installations to view in New York City this month. 

1. Seeds (13 Moons) at Thomas Paine Park

Seeds (13 Moons)
Seeds (13 Moons). Courtesy of Jaime Miranda-Bambarén.

This summer and fall, Thomas Paine Park will host artist Jaime Miranda-Bambarén’s sculpture installation Seeds (13 Moons). Situated in front of courthouses and the Jacob Javits Federal Building are 13 wooden seed sculptures. Interactive in nature, the sculptures invite their viewers to explore their unique crevices with every part of their body.

Miranda-Bambarén drew direct inspiration from his experiences traveling across Peru to gather materials for his sculptures. Each sculpture in the series was crafted utilizing a single piece of wood harvested by the artist himself from Eucalyptus tree stumps grown within the Peruvian highlands and jungle. Eucalyptus trees were specifically chosen due to their high resistance to weather conditions and their cracks and fissures which beautifully mark the passage of time. By transforming the trees’ wood — which simultaneously reflects the viceregal times they were planted in and their modern-day razing — into seed sculptures, Miranda-Bambarén breathes new life into fields of sown death. Seeds (13 Moons) can be viewed through November 1, 2022.