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When walking around The Plaza at 300 Ashland in downtown Brooklyn, you'll notice a colorful new public art installation that you're actually encouraged to play around with.
"Common Ground" by Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong was just unveiled by the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership and the Van Alen Institute and it is expected to be on display through May 1.
"Drawing inspiration from the geometry of shrines and sacred spaces and referencing the terraces of the site, this architectural intervention transforms the plaza into an oasis for sitting, socializing and gathering by day and by night," reads an official press release about the piece, which consists of a colorful seating landscape that makes for an incredibly photogenic shot that we expect to see pop up all over Instagram in the coming weeks.
The installation is a highly interactive one, featuring color-changing lighting displays and sensors that register environmental audio—think footsteps, human voices, the noise of traffic—and then shimmer accordingly. Expect performances to ignite the system and make use of the space throughout the residency.
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"'Common Ground' creates this playful interruption on the plaza, one of Downtown Brooklyn's everyday spaces, to bring a new community pavilion to the area," Wing-Zi Wong said in an official statement about her work. "By night, it becomes a large-scale instrument of sorts, responding to environmental audio – you're encouraged to come sit, sing, play, linger and experience the art."
Below, find the upcoming performance lineup scheduled to take over the area around the new installation:
April 6: Peniel Guerrier and Kriye Bode will bring Haitian Rara to the plaza with an enchanting performance that calls all to rejoice in the energy of life as a community.
April 13: Dancer, choreographer and teaching artist Kendra J. Ross will give a glimpse into her latest work in progress.
April 20: Soles of Duende, the all-female multicultural trio, will present a spirited collaboration across disciplines in celebration of tap, flamenco and Kathak dance.
April 22: Pratt Institute’s fashion department will close out their academic year with "Junior Thesis," a fashion performance featuring selected works.