Higher Art

Since opening day in 2009, there has never been a single unappreciated moment for the High Line, the elevated park on a former spur of railway on Manhattan’s far west side. It’s become an international exemplar of innovative design for public land, both a commercial and cultural hit. The June opening of the second section introduces ten more grin-inducing blocks of greenery, plus a number of whimsical art installations that shouldn’t be missed.


Let’s start with the obvious — the installation that will no-way-no-how go unnoticed: the Miami-based art collective Friends With You’s “Rainbow City” — a Mario-Brothers-meets-Macy’s-Parade city of balloon creatures, located beneath the park’s new northernmost tip. If it’s looking a bit familiar, perhaps that’s because the magical mushrooms were exhibited previously at Art Basel Miami last winter. But this is Friends With You’s first solo show in New York, and “Rainbow City” couldn’t be better suited for the site; a little color therapy for this hard-edged neighborhood goes a long way. Get there before July 5th, when the installation closes.

Then there’s Sarah Sze’s “Still Life with Landscape (Model for a Habitat),” which also plays off themes of city and community. Sze’s sculpture, which flanks the pedestrian path around 20th street, is a lattice of steel and wood that simulates another kind of metropolis, one for New York’s smaller, winged residents: butterflies, birds, and the occasional ladybug. There are miniature modernist houses (this is “Architects Row,” after all) and trays stocked with food (oranges, Cheerios, and birdseed) and water.

Strolling southbound, keep an eye out for Kim Beck’s “Space Available,” a three-part sculpture not actually on the High Line itself, but instead found on the surrounding rooftops. Beck’s sculptures appear to be empty billboards, a reference to one of the less obvious indicators of the economic recession. If, however, you look closely or perhaps walk a few yards further to find a new vantage point, you’ll see that each sculpture is two-dimensional, built like theater props to suggest more depth than the reality.

Not exactly new but still worth your attention is Spencer Finch’s “The River That Flows Both Ways,” in the shade of the Chelsea Market Passage near 16th street. Inspired by the nearby Hudson, Finch spent nearly 12 hours (700 minutes) on a tugboat, photographing the river’s surface at one-minute intervals. He has translated the journey into an installation on the westward-facing windows of the passage. The color of each of the 700 panes is based on a single pixel point in each photograph and arranged chronologically. The patchwork of color fits well with the architecture — so well, in fact, that it might get lost with all the activity, so be sure to take it slow.

Even less easy to spot is Julianne Swartz’s “Digital Empathy,” mainly because it’s a sound piece and thus not strictly spottable at all. With this installation, High Line promeneurs are greeted with a number of wonderfully weird public service-type announcements in traditionally art-free spaces, such as in the public restrooms, elevators, and even at the drinking fountains. While sipping, a fem-bot voice tells you to “drink freely,” cautions against “bump[ing] your teeth on this fountain,” offers a reminder to “brush regularly” and then encourages kissing as a means of preventing tooth decay: “the extra saliva produced helps to keep the mouth clean.”

End your art walk with a pretzel and a beer at The Standard’s Biergarten — or, for more serious fare, with a burger at The Grill. Smile when you hear Swartz’s “Relaxation” mantra (“You really deserve a break. We support your attempt to improve your quality of life.”) ringing in your ears.

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