New interactive installation in Flatiron asks New Yorkers to dream together
Photos by Martin Seck for the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership
A new public art installation opened in the Flatiron Public Plaza as part of the neighborhood’s yearly “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” event. This year’s artwork, called Interwoven, comes from design firm Atelier Cho Thompson and features colorful interactive archways. When two or more people pass through sensors of the same color, corresponding lights and musical compositions by local artists are activated. Interwoven, selected by the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership and Van Alen Institute as the winner of the eighth annual Flatiron Public Plaza Holiday Design Competition, also has a story wall that invites New Yorkers to share responses to the prompt: “I dream of a world where together we can…”
Photo by Martin Seck for the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership
Inspired by the intersections that form the Flatiron Building, the installation features archways, hammocks, and benches made of steel framing, netting, resin panels, and high-density cork, according to a press release.
The story wall features backlit papers on a grid, encouraging visitors to share their hopes and dreams for the future. The prompt was selected by Youth Fellows from The People’s Bus NYC, a community center on wheels.
Photo by Martin Seck for the Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership
“One of our key tenets as a firm is that we can build community around design,” Ming Thompson and Christina Cho Yoo, co-founders of Atelier Cho Thompson, said in a statement. “Interwoven highlights our fundamental desires to connect with each other through shared experiences and to celebrate our differences. Interwoven offers a platform for stories and dreams of our future.”
Interwoven will be on view through January 2, 2022 in the plaza on Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street.
“23 Days of Flatiron Cheer” kicks off December 1 and runs through December 23, offering holiday discounts at neighborhood shops, meal kits from local restaurants, holiday-themed walking tours, carolers, digital giveaways, and more.
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Photos by Martin Seck for the Flatiron/ 23rd Street Partnership
