WHERE: Ralph Bunche Park, 1st Ave & 42nd St., Manhattan NY
WHEN: Thursday, July 1st, 201
May 28, 2010 (MMD Newswire) -- On July 1st, an unusual flock of birds will touch down across the street from the UN Headquarters in Manhattan; "birds in the park", a traveling public art project, will be visiting from dawn till dusk. Both event and exhibition, the project involves 30-60 porcelain birds, which carry images and text printed on their backs. The content explores issues of humanity, specifically around war and peace.
Created by contemporary artist Christy Hengst, "birds in the park" has been traveling for a year and a half in the U.S. and internationally. Starting in Santa Fe, New Mexico where Hengst lives, the birds began appearing unexpectedly in parks, outdoor cafes, in front of libraries, museums and city hall. Soon however they began to fly farther afield, landing among other places in a sculpture park in New Orleans, the National Mall in Washington DC,beaches along the coast of California, Central Park in New York City, a University in Germany, in front of Chartres Cathedral in France, and even migrating so far as the Galapagos Islands.
The imagery and text on the birds draws from many sources; newspaper articles from the lead-up to the Iraq war, memoirs of a Vietnam Vet, documents and photos from WWII Germany, layered together with poetry, images of childhood, recipes, daily calendars... The installation explores the humanness of us all, and the unthinkable ways in which that bond is disregarded.
The unusual format of this project - out of the blue and somewhat fleeting -- creates an opportunity for a fresh look at choices we make in our lives. Viewer interactions and conversations are an integral part of "birds in the park"; Hengst is on-site and available to talk during the day of the installation.
For additional information or to arrange an interview with the artist, please contact:
Christy Hengst
(505)920-5765
chengst@nets.com
A complete schedule, background information, and photos of bird landings can be found online at www.christyhengst.com.
Past "bird updates" from the project are at www.birdsinthepark.blogspot.com