Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Sponsored
Just Opened: A Massive New Handball Court-Inspired Artwork In Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn!
Article sponsored by
Published May 1, 2019
Modified May 1, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
View all 7
Article sponsored by
Published May 1, 2019
Modified May 1, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Public Art Fund has just unveiled Subliminal Standard, an immersive painted sculpture by Brooklyn-based, Belgian-born artist Harold Ancart. Free and open for the public to enjoy, the work is inspired by New York City’s 2,000+ ubiquitous handball courts, which have fascinated Ancart for years because of their unexpected relationship to the history of abstraction. The four-part painting - two upright “walls” and two flat “floors” - references the traditional boundary lines of the court and the accidental abstract compositions created when city courts are repaired and repainted to mask graffiti and weathering over time.
Envisioned as a site-responsive work, the structure was built onsite, and Ancart has been in Cadman Plaza Park for several weeks hand-painting it. Both a commanding artwork and interactive installation, Subliminal Standard is the artist’s most ambitious work to date - and could only be presented outdoors in New York City, where the game of handball was born.
To celebrate Harold Ancart and the opening of Subliminal Standard, join Public Art Fund on Sunday, May 5 for the #PAFPicnic! There will be free Melt ice cream sandwiches (while they last!), handball giveaways, art making activities, and introductions to the artwork by the curator.
For more information: PublicArtFund.org
This post is brought to you by our sponsor, Public Art Fund.
Tagged
public art fund
subliminal standard
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
On HBO's “The Gilded Age,” Ben Ahlers is New York high society’s man of the hour
The actor plays Jack Trotter, a fictional inventor of an impressive alarm clock. He’s developed an enthusiastic following.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Nov 5, 2026
Bowling, burgers and civilian housing: Life on the Fort Hamilton Army installation
We went behind the gates to see what's happening on the leafy plot beneath the Verrazzano Bridge.
By
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Bowling, burgers and civilian housing: Life on the Fort Hamilton Army installation
We went behind the gates to see what's happening on the leafy plot beneath the Verrazzano Bridge.
By
James Ramsay
When turning back the clock means going under an NYC sidewalk
By
Hannah Frishberg
Yes, Stevie Wonder is playing MSG. No, you can't afford tickets. See these shows instead.
By
Hank Shteamer
'The Muppets Take Manhattan' in Queens and more November films in NYC
By
Emma Stefansky
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .