Art Vending Machines

Ana Inciardi, an artist who hails from Brooklyn, has been installing print vending machines across the country for the last three years. A machine recently opened at Artists & Fleas in Chelsea market, a perfect location for the Italian American artist who celebrates food, community, eating, and accessibility. We knew we had to take a visit! Usually, the Friday photo gives us a chance to appreciate art displays, but this week we got to take the art home with us. All you need is four quarters to get a surprise print. Inciardi said the inspiration for the machines came from a sticker and temporary tattoo vending machine at the supermarket where she grew up. One week when she was short on quarters for the laundromat, she realized she could use the format of those childhood vending machines but put a twist on them, filling the machines with her prints to make art accessible for people across New York. The idea has been a massive success, and now her linocut prints can be found across the country. We were excited to bring home our New York themed images of a hot dog, ice cream, bagel, and Italian spritz, some of the best treats for a New York summer day!

“Infinite Accumulation” by Yayoi Kusama

We can never get enough of Yayoi Kusama’s polka dot centric work, and after years of visiting her exhibitions across the world in Melbourne, London, Rockaway, and Chelsea, we were delighted to catch another sighting of Kusama’s work in London. “Infinite Accumulation” sits next to the Liverpool Street Station, captivating travelers with its interconnected silver dots. The glimmering steel sculpture is over ten meters high, with surfaces so shiny viewers can catch themselves in the reflection. Kusama’s inspiration for the piece came from the city of London itself, as she explained “London is a massive metropolis with people of all cultures moving constantly. The spheres symbolize unique personalities while the supporting curvilinear lines allow us to imagine an underpinning social structure.” Art lovers simply must hop off the tube to see Kusama’s first permanent London installation in person!

“The Creation of the Creatures of Day and Night” by Rosana Paulino

The High Line is one of our favorite places to explore New York’s public art offerings, and the newest mural at 22nd street is no exception. “The Creation of the Creatures of Day and Night” by Rosana Paulino depicts two tree-women who stem from the mangrove trees common in Paulino’s native Brazil. The artist’s work draws a parallel between the Mangrove trees, which provide a crucial ecosystem in Brazil, and the black and indigenous population of Brazil; both of which have been historically mistreated and exploited. This complex history of the Brazilian biome is embodied in Paulino’s mural of the mangrove tree-women, who offer a striking sense of strength, embodying the crucial role the mangroves play. The stunning mural will be part of The High Line’s fauna and flora through December 2025.

“Le Petit Prince” by Jean-Marc de Pas

Photos by Misia Delgado

Since his story was first published in 1943, Le Petit Prince, or The Little Prince, has travelled across the world and delighted readers. His story, originally written by French author Antoine de Saint Exupéry, has been translated into hundreds of languages and is one of the best-selling books in history. Now, through the work of sculptor Jean-Marc de Pas, the Little Prince has come to reside in New York City, (we presume through G visa status if we had to guess, although we didn’t do the visa application). A bronze sculpture of the character sits on a ledge outside the Villa Albertine, a historic French bookstore on the Upper East Side and headquarters of the cultural services of the French Embassy of the U.S. The statue of the whimsical young prince invites viewers to take a moment to pause, sit, and reflect on life as he reminds us “it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

“Love Continuum” by Yoni Alter

Twisting and curving through Union Square is a new sculpture, which only reveals itself when the viewer positions themselves just-so. “Love Continuum” by Yoni Alter features a twenty-five foot long red squiggle, in a bold design that invites viewers to climb on and around it. The piece displays the word “love,” but viewers have to find the right spot to catch the sculpture’s message. The installation invites us all to reflect on different perspectives on “love,” looking at the word from new angles. Viewers can find the inviting sculpture in New York’s Union Square through late summer.

Fordham’s Magis Sculpture Exhibition

Energized by the warming temperatures and our trip to the Pratt Institute’s sculpture walk a few weeks ago, we decided to explore the art offerings of other schools in New York City. We were happy to find the newly installed “Magis Sculpture Exhibition” on Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus. Tucked away in a calm grassy plaza just above street level, the installation features works on loan from Nantucket’s Cavalier Galleries. We were thrilled to see the work of Bjørn Skaarup, having enjoyed his “Hippo Ballerina” since 2017. This installation included Skaarup’s “The Majestic Lion,” “The Frog” and “The Giraffe,” as well as works like “After Shopping” from artist Bruno Lucchesi. As we begin to thaw from winter, we hope you get a chance to catch this great installation.

Pratt Institute Sculpture Park

Nestled away in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn is the sprawling campus of the Pratt Institute (“Pratt”). For over a century, Pratt has educated bachelor’s and master’s students in the arts, serving as an incubator for creativity in New York City. As temperatures began to rise here in New York, we took a lovely stroll through Pratt’s sculpture park. The park includes a collection of over seventy sculptures by artists, faculty, and graduates on display throughout campus, which is open to the public.

Pratt’s sculpture collection is constantly evolving, with works on loan to the university for a few years at a time. On this visit, were able to appreciate the works of artists like James Tyler, Nova Mihai Popa, Wendy Klemperer, Santiago Calatrava, and Martha Walker. The grounds have pieces to enjoy and explore every few meters – the sculptural lions, spheres, and “brickheads” we enjoyed barely scratch the surface of what the park has to offer.  We look forward to return visits to continue exploring Pratt’s extraordinary displays!

Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy

Photos by Andrew Markey

In 1987, extraordinary artists like André Heller, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Salvador Dalí, Roy Lichtenstein, Arik Brauer, Sonia Delaunay, Kenny Scharf, Monika Gil’sing, and David Hockney designed an amusement park which premiered in Hamburg, Germany. It was the world’s first art amusement park, a stunning interactive exhibition, which shortly after its premier, was packed into shipping containers and forgotten in Texas. Now, thirty-seven years later, Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy has been revitalized and is currently on display at The Shed at Hudson Yards.

We were lucky to explore the enchanting exhibition recently, which features a carousel, a Ferris wheel, and even a chapel in which couples married during the run of the original exhibition in Hamburg. The park is a fascinating exploration into the iconic artists’ ideas of what an amusement park represents, even if you cannot go on the rides. As Keith Haring said during the exhibition’s original run, “Art is nothing if you don’t reach every segment of the people.” Luna Luna embraces us all and invites memories of childhood. With a limited run through March 16th, this is a wonderful opportunity to see the work of the modern greats.

“Untitled (America/Me)” by Glenn Ligon

For decades New York based artist Glenn Ligon has explored issues of race, sexuality, and identity in his art through a historical lens, drawing on literature and sources from the past. Using text in his work, he plays with language to make us think about shifting meanings in different contexts. Now, Ligon has once again drawn attention to what America means as our nation struggles to maintain unity.

“Untitled (America/Me),” is a new 25 x 75 foot billboard viewable from the High Line at 10th Avenue and 18th Street. The installation revisits Ligon’s iconic 2008 neon sculpture, “Untitled,” which featured the word AMERICA in bold neon caps that flickered on and off. Ligon has modified his original piece by crossing out most letters in AMERICA, leaving behind only the word “ME.” As the artist explains, “The word ‘America’ is eclipsed, and the blackening of the letters adds a layer of ambiguity… It’s timely as we reflect on our purpose as a nation and as individuals.” Timely indeed as we ponder the election this coming November 5th and what America means to each of us.