This gorgeous new street mural in Hudson Square ‘flows’ as pedestrians walk on it

A massive new street mural called Urban Flow has turned the intersection of Little Sixth Avenue and Dominick Street, Hudson Square, into a ribbon of color that appears to move alongside the people walking across it. Unveiled this week by the Hudson Square Business Improvement District, the 6,000-square-foot artwork by artist Dasic Fernández serves as the centerpiece of the neighborhood's soon-to-open Hudson Square Plaza.

At first glance, the mural looks like a giant abstract painting splashed across the street. But look a little closer and you'll notice the design is actually inspired by pedestrian movement. The wide bands of vivid color change thickness and direction, intended to mimic the way people naturally circulate and gather in public spaces. 

Fernández, who was born in Chile but lives and works in New York, and his team created the piece directly on the street, spending four days applying the final layers of paint from June 2 through June 5. Community volunteers, including local workers and members of the BID team, also helped bring the project to life.

The artwork is meant to complement Hudson Square Plaza, a new 6,000-square-foot public gathering space that will open later this summer. The plaza is part of a larger effort to make a more pedestrian-friendly public space in a neighborhood that, while once largely industrial, has become one of Manhattan's busiest office and residential hubs.

According to HSBID president and CEO Samara Karasyk, the goal is to make one of the neighborhood's busiest gateways more inviting. “‘Urban Flow’ will breathe additional life and color into the busiest entry point in the neighborhood, inviting visitors to experience the creative energy of our streets,” Karasyk said in a statement. Dasic's striking artwork creates a beautiful carpet for the new plaza, extending Spring Street Park into a vibrant outdoor living room that sparks imagination and connection.”

If Fernández's style looks familiar, you may have seen his work before. In 2021, he completed a similarly eye-catching 4,800-square-foot asphalt mural on Chinatown's Doyers Street and his other projects can be seen across Latin America, the Middle East and beyond, including a 430,000-square-foot floor painting created for Saudi Arabia's Diriyah Season festival.

"Urban Flow" is the latest installation from Hudson Square Canvas, the neighborhood's public-art initiative, which has produced more than 15 large-scale works since launching in 2019. And judging by the colorful crowds already stopping to photograph it, this one may quickly become the program's most visible work yet.