NYCxDESIGN Captivates Visitors with Interactive Public Art
Production Concept for Hurrah!, Design Pavilion, Strzeminski Academy x Pratt Institute for NYCxDESIGN
NYCxDESIGN always manages to bring new, cutting-edge design initiatives to a curious public, and this year is no different. Events and installations span New York City’s five boroughs through May 22nd, with a design hub featured in the pedestrian plazas between Broadway and 7th Avenue, from West 42nd to West 47th Streets. Situated within this central location lies the official Design Pavilion, which features some of the more compelling public installations and design features in this 2019 festival. Interactive and experimental projects are presented by the likes of Nokia Bell Labs, American Design Club, and a delightful presentation by Pratt University in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute New York, and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C. Titled “Hurrah!”, this sound art installation at the Design Pavilion forms a collaborative, interactive project featuring large-scale vertical tubes carrying the sound that visitors produce, forming a public-facing and joyful installation, the centerpiece of the Design Pavilion. Even more interesting is the music emerging from the sculpture. The song—“Sto Lat”—is a festive tune which marks festivities in Poland, and actually refers to the hundred year celebration marking US-Polish diplomatic relations.
Industrial Design students and faculty from Pratt Institute and The Strzeminski Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, in partnership with the Polish Cultural Institute and the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, D.C., created this temporary art installation on view through May 22 which invites celebration and visitor interaction, and embodies the ideas of friendship and joy.
Hurrah! detail shot, Design Pavilion, Strzeminski Academy x Pratt Institute for NYCxDESIGN
To further capture this optimistic spirit between two top design universities, located in the US and Poland respectively, Polish Cultural Institute of New York Director Anna Domanska comments on the partnership of this endeavor, “The idea of the installation arose from reflections on how we could celebrate the hundredth anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the USA and Poland in a way that would be interesting and inspiring today. We wanted to talk about the union of Poles and Americans, not by reviving history, but by establishing a new space for people from both countries to create together. We wanted to commemorate not only the material things expressed in this installation but also newly established relationships that may result in future projects. And, of course, we wanted to give people a moment of fun and joy in experimenting with an unusual art object.” Located within the heart of this Design Festival, “Hurrah!” captures the exciting spirit of partnership buoying US-Polish relations and speaks to the larger enthusiasm around user experience and interactive design carrying us into a collaborative future!
Hurrah! installation shot, Design Pavilion, Strzeminski Academy x Pratt Institute for NYCxDESIGN