As the weather gets icier and the warm days of spring seem far away, cozying up at home seems like the only right option. But new art installations are set to bloom this winter season and you don’t want to miss interactive sculptures, murals, and photography exhibits coming to New York City!
1. “To Let the Sky Know / Dejar que el cielo sepa” at Madison Square Park
As you take a stroll through Madison Square Park, you might spot fluffy pink and yellow clouds floating 10 feet in the air. To Let the Sky Know/Dejar sue el cielo sepa is Ana María Hernando’s latest art installation, inspired by the artist’s Argentinian heritage and the powerful women around her. The sculptural work is made of steel poles topped with layers of tulle – a fabric typically associated with femininity. The art piece is a nod to Hernando’s history of working with hand-worked textiles, a tradition of creativity among women in Latin America. The sculptures are reminiscent of spring flowers and stand as symbols of hope and growth in the midst of the bleak winter landscape. The art installation will be on view until March 17.
2. Domino Effect at Fosun Plaza
This month you can craft a song with glowing dominos at Fosun Plaza! In partnership with Quartier des Spectacles International, Montreal-based design studio Ingrid Ingrid presents Domino Effect, an immersive take on the game of dominos that allows visitors to engage with life-size, musical domino pieces. The installation consists of 120 tumbling pieces, each with its own color and range of sounds, distributed across 12 stations. Each set of dominos features different instruments such as percussion, marimba, balafon, flute, and even vocals. Colorful and bright, the dominos glow like lanterns in rectangular form, bringing warmth to the cold city. They stand sturdy, built specifically to endure icy weather and winds, but with a simple push, they are awakened with light and fall, creating a classic “domino effect.” The playful exhibition encourages pedestrians to leave their cozy homes and spend some time outdoors. Domino Effect will be on view through March 6 at Fosun Plaza in front of 28 Liberty St. in Lower Manhattan.
3. Live Ice Sculpting at Governors Island
Governors Island Arts and Times Square Arts will present the third annual Ice Sculpture Show on Friday, February 3, 2024. This annual event features live ice sculpting done by ten selected finalists. The winner will have their sculpture on display in Times Square. Some of the artists featured include the duo Art Domantay and Roberto Flores who collaborated to create a multi-dimensional heart sculpture; Azikiwe Mohammed with his own interpretation of King Kong as an immigrant in New York City; Katerina Sokolovskaya, who sculpts an ethereal interpretation of love as seen by the embrace of two people; and Lloyd Foster who uses angels in his sculpture as a motif of love. For schedules and ticketing information, visit www.govisland.org.
4. Art in Focus at Rockefeller Center
New York-based artist Melissa Joseph presents her first art exhibition at Rockefeller Center through the Art in Focus program. Raised in an Indian/American household, Joseph’s art mirrors her cultural heritage. She uses textile art to weave together a heartfelt narrative about the importance of POC representation and underrepresented voices in marginalized communities. The exhibition on view at the Rink Level of 45 Rockefeller Plaza will feature a 125-foot display of curated works by Joseph. The pieces featured include needle-felted wool emblazoned with imagery of intimate aspects of the artist’s life displayed along the walls like a series of family portraits. Joseph’s presentation can be viewed at 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, and Radio Park.
Joseph will also host a free Art Sundae children’s workshop at Rockefeller Center where participants can create their own art alongside the artist and have their work included in a window installation. Joseph’s Art In Focus will be on view through April 19.
5. The Dumbo Projection Project
Mesmerizing projections will cover anchorages of the Manhattan Bridge this winter as the Dumbo Improvement District launches an outdoor video art exhibition titled The Dumbo Projection Project. This series will feature works by different artists from January to April projected in three different locations: the anchorages at Adams Street and Pearl Street, and along the BQE in Susan Smith Mckinney Steward Park, Thursdays to Saturdays from dusk to 10pm. Volume One features four different projections, each with its own unique theme.
In Speculative Geologies & Speculative Geologies (Triptych) by Jason Urban and Leslie Mutcher show 400 individual 3d models of made-up rocks and minerals created from the melding of nature and technology. In Sound of Deep Waters, Josh Miller and Angela Fraleigh translate viewer text messages into floral imagery. Mz.Icar Collective pays homage to the local youth and wise elders of DUMBO in The Protectors. Finishing out Volume One is Ocean with Spirit Patterns, a trance-like video by Grant Cutler.
6. Untitled (Collective Light Transfer) Amtrak Installation
The latest installation at Penn Station brings forth New York-based artist Rico Gatson’s Untitled (Collective Light Transfer). Geometric shapes in a colorful bright palette decorate Amtrak concourse, bringing a pulsing energy to the bland space. The vibrant acrylic compositions cover the high pillars and walls for travelers to view as they move through the station (the patterns represent the rhythm of people as they hustle through the city). Gatson’s artistic inspirations derive from African, Native, and Indigenous cultures as well as spirituality, translating into abstract mathematical imagery. Amtrak Vice President Jina Sanone says Untitled (Collective Light Transfer) “weaves light, color, and culture together to surprise and delight customers and station visitors.” The installation is on view through the summer in the upper-level rotunda between the 8th Avenue Amtrak departure concourse and the 7th Avenue NJ Transit.
7. Let me know when you get home
New York-based self-taught photographer Clifford Prince King presents a series of intimate, autobiographical portraits titled Let me know when you get home this month. The visual journal features photographs King took during his travels in different places such as Fire Island, Syracuse, Vermont, São Paulo, and the Cayman Islands. In his nomadic journey over the summer, King captured moments of love and partnership through his camera lens, showing lovers in vulnerable, candid poses. Framed in six-foot-tall portraits, Let me know when you get home is a raw display of heartfelt moments in grainy, cinematic quality. As a queer Black man, King uses his creative outlet as a voice for the LGTBQ+ and BIPOC communities and gives a sense of belonging to diverse audiences. Starting on February 21 and ending on May 26, Let me know when you get home will be on view at 300 JCDecaux bus shelters and 30 newsstands throughout New York City, Chicago, and Boston.
8. Digital Artworks at Grand Central Madison
Madison. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design. Photo: MTA Arts & Design.
Two new digital works by artists Eirini Linardaki and Zach Horn animate the screens at Grand Central Madison. Greek-born and New York-based, Linardaki presents a piece that serves as a culmination of experiences she has gone through on her travels in different cities. Diaphanous Pareidolia, is a five-screen digital animated artwork clad in multi-patterned landscapes, buildings, and commuters on the subway. It depicts the energy of the city and its panoramic views, taking the viewer on a nomadic journey through Long Island City to Upstate New York.
Horn’s serene hand-painted waves undulate methodically in Rockaway, a tribute to his family’s connection to the Queens neighborhood. Horn’s style of work is heartfelt and personal with hints of nostalgia. Glowing in blue and indigo hues, Rockaway is a visual reminder of memories made throughout the generations of Horn’s family. Both artworks are presented as part of the MTA Arts & Design Digital Arts Program and are displayed across five LED screens near the 47th Street entrance to Grand Central Madison.
9. Healing Portraits at NYC Health +Hospital/Harlem
As part of the Community Mural Project, NYC Health + Hospitals presents a new mural titled Healing Portraits by Tijay Mohammed. The art piece pays homage to impactful medical pioneers and Black public figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Ronald H. Brown, Dr. Louis T. Wright, Dr. Samuel L. Kountz, and Dr. Muriel Petioni. Members of the community were invited to paint alongside Mohammed to make this mural come to life. Healing Portraits displays important figures painted in colorful brush strokes looking down at visitors as they walk inside; the faces of these Harlem legends give the place a sense of pride and hope for a brighter future. The imagery of happy children, musical notes, and Taino symbols not only commemorates historic figures but also highlights the diversity of the Harlem community and its bond with the healthcare center. Healing Portraits is displayed on a glass canopy at the entrance of the hospital’s clinic building Ronald H. Brown Ambulatory Care Pavilion on 46 W 137th Street.
10. Holographic Zoo Animals at JFK
Don’t be alarmed if you catch a glimpse of a sloth, alligator, pelican, or some other wild animal at JFK Airport this month. It’s likely a hologram. As part of Terminal 4 operator JFKIAT‘s T4 Arts & Culture program, T4 has partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Bronx Zoo to create a series of holographic stations where travelers can learn about wildlife and T4 sustainability efforts from Bronx Zoo Director Jim Breheny.
T4 has also introduced a hand-painted mural representing the vibrant history of Queens by local artist Zeehan Wazed, a photography exhibit powered by the Cradle of Aviation Museum, and a photography series featuring shots captured by T4 employees.
Next, check out 10 Pieces of Hidden Subway Art