Observed
The sculpture became visible before it left the truck.
People began taking photographs during installation.
Children ran first.
Adults usually followed.
Some pom-poms disappeared over the summer.
New ones took their place.
One pom-pom holds a small piece of antique tulle.
The plaza sounded different when people stayed longer than they planned.
June 2025
Blooming Together
tulle, steel, cable ties
108 x 70 x 16 in
2025
Commissioned by the Flatiron NoMad Partnership, this site-responsive installation transformed the Flatiron North Plaza into a temporary environment of more than 700 hand-wrapped tulle forms inspired by the growth patterns of lichens. Installed during the summer of 2025, the work invited millions of visitors to move around, on, and alongside the sculpture, creating moments of play, gathering, and shared experience within one of New York City's busiest public spaces.
Field Notes
Lichens do not ask permission to belong.
They create the conditions where belonging becomes possible.
Public space remembers who feels welcome.
Play is a form of participation.
Dogs understand this immediately.
Children aren't far behind.
Making 700 identical forms made each one less important.
The pattern became the work.
Repetition became conversation.
The installation stayed all summer.
Some of the pom-poms disappeared.
I chose to read that as affection.
Every public artwork is completed by the people who use it differently than intended.
June 2025
