Eliasson?EUR??,,????'???s NYC Waterfalls

 

The New York City Waterfalls will be visible by land and boat, and because of their proximity to one another, viewers will be able to see multiple waterfalls from various vantage points in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Governors Island. Photo courtesy of Olafur Eliasson: The New York City Waterfalls (Brooklyn Bridge), 2008 ???????(C) Olafur Eliasson, 2008. Photos: Rochelle Steiner, courtesy of Public Art Fund

A major new work of temporary public art by internationally acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson, The New York City Waterfalls, will be on display in New York City from June 26 to October 13, 2008. Commissioned by the Public Art Fund, the project consists of four monumental, man-made waterfalls installed for three months at four sites along the shores of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Governors Island: one by the Brooklyn anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge, one between Piers 4 and 5 in Brooklyn, one in Lower Manhattan at Pier 35, and one on the north shore of Governors Island.

The 90 to 120-foot tall installations, which have been designed to protect water quality and aquatic life, will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, and will be lit after sunset, adding a striking element to New York City?EUR??,,????'???s iconic skyline. The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) estimates that the Waterfalls, funded with private support raised by the Public Art Fund, will contribute $55 million to the City?EUR??,,????'???s economy.

The Waterfalls have been designed to be sensitive to the environment. The structures will not only protect fish, aquatic life, the river and the shoreline, but will also run on ?EUR??,,????'??green power?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+electricity generated from renewable resources?EUR??,,????'??+for its operations.

?EUR??,,????'??Public art is a signature of New York City and we are proud to welcome Olafur Eliasson?EUR??,,????'???s exciting new project, the Waterfalls,?EUR??,,????'?? said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. ?EUR??,,????'??Not only does public art excite and inspire New Yorkers, it helps draw visitors and adds millions of dollars into our economy.

?EUR??,,????'??In developing The New York City Waterfalls, I have tried to work with today?EUR??,,????'???s complex notion of public spaces,?EUR??,,????'?? said Eliasson. ?EUR??,,????'??The Waterfalls appear in the midst of the dense social, environmental, and political tissue that makes up the heart of New York City. They will give people the possibility to reconsider their relationships to the spectacular surroundings, and I hope to evoke experiences that are both individual and enhance a sense of collectivity.?EUR??,,????'??