Heartwalk, a heart-shaped installation created with salvaged wood from boardwalks destroyed during Hurricane Sandy, can be viewed outdoors in Dumbo through April 30. Photo: Dumbo.is
As May draws closer our thoughts turn to outdoor activities like drinking, dancing, music and of course, art. From sculpture to film to excellent animated GIFs, here are three al fresco art options that will balance out all of those sun-kissed margaritas you’ll be enjoying in the days to come.
Heart Walk
Heartwalk, a 30-foot-tall, heart-shaped sculpture that was first presented as the 2013 winner of the annual Times Square Valentine’s Heart Design, is back in its ancestral home in Brooklyn. Dumbo-based design firm Situ Studios created the sculpture with wood salvaged from various boardwalks in Brooklyn and New Jersey post-Hurricane Sandy. The piece almost appears to be pleated, with diagonally placed strips of wood arranged in the shape of a heart, and pink lights illuminating the center.
As Wes Rozen, Situ Studio’s founder, told BB, “We wanted to make a project that not only celebrated the romantic love normally associated with Valentine’s Day, but also the love that binds people together in trying times.”
Heartwalk will be on display through April 30 at the Pearl Street Triangle on the corner of Water and Pearl Streets in Dumbo.
BAMart Outdoors: Moving the Still
An otter shooting lightning out of its nose is one of several artistic expressions being celebrated as part of BAM’s first GIF festival. GIF: Douglas Schatz
“The time for officially celebrating the GIF is long overdue, and we are thrilled to celebrate it in this unique, groundbreaking way,” says Johnny Misheff, a curator for Moving the Still.
The festival explores the artistic possibilities of the GIF. The looping series of images will be on display through June 30, on BAM’s digital signboard above Flatbush Avenue.
Viewers will be treated to GIFs that keep on giving like Krutika Mallikarjuna Sassy Obama and Joe Kay’s Blinking Cindy Sherman.
Tropfest
Tropfest Short Film is an experimental film festival and art exhibition that was started in Sydney, Australia more than 20 years ago. Last year, New York’s first Tropfest took place in Bryant Park, and it’s hopping across the East River to Prospect Park for 2013. The festival takes place on June 22 and attracts submissions from established and emerging directors and writers alike, including Australian actors Sam Worthington from Avatar, and Joel Edgerton, who will play Tom Buchanan in fellow Aussie Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, which comes out next month.
The films cover every subject imaginable. The only requirements are that they be created specifically for the festival; run no longer than seven minutes; and in some way incorporate that year’s Tropfest signature item–this year it’s bridges.
Bridges will also be the signature item for the accompanying art installations that will dot the park. The details of the planned pieces are still being worked out, according a festival spokeswoman. Participants for the music and film portions of the free festival have yet to be announced.
