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Photos: The Flag Project, Featuring 193 Different Designs Celebrating NYC, Opens In Rockefeller Center
By
Scott Lynch
Published Aug 4, 2020
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By
Scott Lynch
Published Aug 4, 2020
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The once-mighty Midtown is struggling. While other parts of the city have seen small bursts of summertime activity, Midtown — typically filled with tourists and office workers — remains something of a ghost town.
Rockefeller Center is making an effort, however, offering New Yorkers a new art exhibition around its iconic rink, The Flag Project, which features 193 flags flying from the usual Rock Center parade of poles, all celebrating in some way the energy, diversity, culture, strength, and resilience of our city.
Most of the designs were created by the public, chosen from an open call for submissions which generated more than a thousand entries from all over the world. But there are some ringers in there, too. Artists such as Jeff Koons, Sarah Sze, KAWS, Jenny Holzer, Sanford Biggers, Laurie Anderson, Christian Siriano, Shantell Martin, Carmen Herrera, Steve Powers, and Marina Abramovic contributed site-specific works for the show.
Here's the thing, though. If there's little or no wind, it's impossible to actually see most of the flags, as they hang limp in the still air, hugging their poles. To get the real show, you're going to need to go when there's some wind in the air.
You'll also find all of the designs displayed along the northern wall of the rink, so you can least view everyone's work on paper. And they've redone the seating within the rink, now featuring large, circular, shaded tables. They've also set up a wide, stepped-platform across at Prometheus, who is properly masked, as you should be while you're there.
Among the food and beverage offerings are sandwiches from Alidoro, grab-and-go dishes from the Rainbow Room, cans of beer from Other Half, and ice cream from Ben and Jerry's.
The Flag Project will be on display at the Rink at Rockefeller Center through August 16th.
Tagged
rockefeller center
Scott Lynch
Photojournalist, food writer, preschool receptionist. Love NYC.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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