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These massive new sculptures in NYC are made entirely of canned goods

After the show, the artwork will be donated to help New Yorkers in need.

Rossilynne Skena Culgan
Things to Do Editor
A can sculpture that looks like a wave.
Photograph: By Niall Cronin / Courtesy of Canstruction New York | The Great Wave Off CANagawa by Thornton Tomasetti
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Larger-than-life sculptures of an alien, a Ninja Turtle, a temple and more now fill Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan. But these artists used a very unusual medium: Canned foods. 

At Canstruction, an annual cans-for-a-cause competition, architecture teams face off to create massive installations using thousands upon thousands of cans of food, all in the name of ending hunger. Every can is donated to City Harvest after the show. Their amazing artwork is on view now at Brookfield Place in Manhattan (230 Vesey Street) through November 13 (10am-8pm). Admission is free, but do your part by bringing along some canned goods to donate to the cause.

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Twenty-eight sculptures are on display this year with designs inspired by Super Mario Bros. (ahem, Souper Mario Bros.), Barbie, spotted lanternflies, sustainability, the MetroCard, Cinderella, the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and much more. In their artwork, cans of beans, soup, peas, olive and tuna transform to create colorful designs. 

This the 31st year for Canstruction. Each year, the event results in the largest annual single donation of canned food to City Harvest. This year's donations will help reach the organization's goal of rescuing and delivering more than 77 million pounds of food to pantries and soup kitchens across New York City.

After you visit, be sure to vote for your favorite here. In addition to the people's choice award, judges will present honors for Best Use of Labels, Best Meal and Structural Ingenuity. You can even vote for your favorite sculpture once the sculptures are unveiled. Here's a sneak peek at some of the spectacular sculptures you can see this year.

Some of the Canstruction 2023 creations 

A version of the LOVE sculpture made with canned goods.
Photograph: By Niall Cronin / Courtesy of Canstruction New York | Love Story (Canstruction's Version) by Fairstead
Robots made of canned goods.
Photograph: By Niall Cronin / Courtesy of Canstruction New York | 50th CANiversary of Hip Hop by WSP USA

  

A sculpture of aliens made of canned goods.
Photograph: By Niall Cronin / Courtesy of Canstruction New York | MOOve Over Earthlings, We Come in Peas by AKF
A Japanese temple made out of canned goods.
Photograph: By Niall Cronin / Courtesy of Canstruction New York | "Can"sen-ji Temple by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
A Ninja Turtles sculpture made of cans.
Photograph: By Niall Cronin / Courtesy of Canstruction New York | KowaHUNGA by Gensler
A bird sculpture.
Photograph: By Niall Cronin / Courtesy of Canstruction New York | This City Has Gone To The Birds by DeSimone Consulting Engineers

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