Waterfalls + NYC

July 9, 2008 on 2:23 pm | In Art, - Cheng |

“Water has this fantastic ability to be everything for everybody.” - Olafur Eliasson

On view until October 13th.

Not spanking brand news, but art thats worth praising in our hectic city. Causing much controversy, Olafur Eliasson’s “New York City Waterfalls” opened this last Thursday, June 26th, and is the city’s grandest pulic art commission since “The Gates” in 2005, which were displayed in Central Park.

Mayor Bloomberg called the project “a triumph of human imagination and mechanical engineering”. The project was commissioned by the Public Art Fund at $15.5 million.

Whether the cost of the project was too much, or you don’t consider it art, or you find the whole concept ludicrous - look at it first before you make a decision. I plan to ride my bike to each of the four waterfalls to decide for myself and it’ll be interesting to see if the $15.5 million project brings the economic activity of $55 million estimated by Mayor Bloomberg. Nonetheless, this is why I love NYC - whether you agree or disagree, there’s always something that causes you to find your beliefs.

The urban Waterfalls are at these spots:
• Pier 35 in Manhattan, near South and Rutgers Streets north of the Manhattan Bridge
• The Brooklyn tower of the Brooklyn Bridge
• Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn, west of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade
• The North Shore of Governors Island.

They will be turned on every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., except on Tuesdays and Thursdays, when they will be activated at 9 a.m. After sunset, the waterfalls will be lighted by light-emitting diodes. (See viewing information.)

The NY Times is encouraging readers to submit their own photos of the “Waterfalls” by e-mail. - The New York Times

Photos by Vincent Laforet/New York Times