Brooklyn's Socially Distanced Art Installation

EARLIER this month Brooklyn’s Domino Park unveiled a new socially distanced outdoor public art installation.

The park had had previous success in May 2020 by painting white circles at equally safe distances from each other on the grass - giving visitors a visual cue as to where they could relax and enjoy the outdoors while still maintaining social distancing guidelines.

This new installation comes from American new media artist Jen Lewin.

Titled Reflect, the piece is an entirely immersive, multi-sensory experience that draws inspiration from organic forms found in nature.

The sculpture is made up of three concentric rings which themselves are made up of smaller interactive platforms that change colours when visitors step on them.

The entire piece is spread over a 222 square-metre area and aims to inspire safe connection amongst New Yorkers during a time where that has become almost impossible.

During the day, the surface of the platforms reflect the sky and surrounding environment, creating a deeply surreal and mesmerising space.

At night, the sculpture is animated by the interactions with visitors - who, through the installation’s design, are kept a minimum 1.8 metres apart at all times.

Lewin hopes the installation will also symbolise the city’s revitalisation and optimism for the future as the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For me personally, this is a way to show my very deep appreciation for the vibrance, strength, and beauty I see in New York City,” Lewin told Greenpointers.

“It’s a way for me to demonstrate my love for this community, as well as to appreciate how challenging this last year was—but that in the end, we stuck it out together.

“This year has been extremely isolating for most of us, and I hope this exhibition can be a celebration of togetherness in a safely distanced way.”

The piece is part of a larger 1,400 square-metre work called ‘Cosmos’ which was first featured in Tokyo during the summer of 2020.

It is the latest addition to Lewin’s Have Art, Will Travel series which features a number of interactive installations that travel the globe.

Reflect is free to the public and open between 8am and 10pm EST every day.

Video footage: Jen Lewin, Reflect at Domino Park, Brooklyn, 2021. Drone footage by Demian Neufeld, Ryders Alley Media, and Matt Emmi; edited by Joshua Pullar. Artwork © 2021 Jen Lewin