Olafur Eliasson
Map of The New York city Waterfalls on the East river in New York Harbor.
New York City Waterfalls during construction at Pier 35, courtesy Public Art Fund.
The Waterfalls are made of common building materials, mainly scaffolding, pumps and piping. Water from the East River is collected in “intake filter pools”(1), which are covered in mesh with holes less than 1 millimeter in diameter and secured underwater. These pools protect fish and aquatic life, which cannot penetrate the fabric. Pumps (2) pull water out of these pools and raise it in pipes (3) to the top of the scaffolding. The water is pushed over a “trough”(4), and then falls back into the river creating a waterfall effect. The water is re-circulated into the “intake filter pools” and pumped to the top of the structures again and again.
New York City Waterfalls during construction at Governors Island, courtesy Public Art Fund.
Olafur Eliasson, The New York City Waterfalls (Pier 35), 2008, Photo: Bernstein Photography, Courtesy Public Art Fund.
New York City Waterfalls during construction at Brooklyn Bridge, courtesy Public Art Fund.
Olafur Eliasson, The New York City Waterfalls (Brooklyn Bridge), 2008, Photo: Bernstein Rochelle Steiner, Courtesy Public Art Fund.
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East River
New York City Harbor
The New York City Waterfalls
June 26-October 13, 2008
The New York City Waterfalls, sited in the historic New York Harbor, a gateway to America for nearly four centuries, will showcase New York’s natural environment alongside the City’s industrial and commercial landscape.
“In developing The New York City Waterfalls, I have tried to work with today’s complex notion of public spaces,” said artist Olafur Eliasson. “The Waterfalls appear in the midst of the dense social, environmental, and political tissue that makes up the heart of New York City. They will give people the possibility to reconsider their relationships to these spectacular surroundings, and I hope they will evoke individual experiences and enhance a sense of collectivity.”
The New York City Waterfalls is an exhibition of four man-made waterfalls of monumental scale on the shores of the New York waterfront: one on the Brooklyn anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge; one on the Brooklyn Piers, between Piers 4 and 5 near the Brooklyn Heights Promenade; one in Lower Manhattan at Pier 35 north of the Manhattan Bridge; and one on the north shore of Governors Island. The 90- to 120-foot-tall Waterfalls that have been erected on the shoreline operate from 7 am to 10 pm daily, except on Tuesdays and Thursdays when they will run from 9 am to 10 pm. They will be lit after sunset.
"Large scale public art is a part of what makes New York City the cultural center of the world. It excites New Yorkers and encourages visitors from around the world to experience a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” said New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “The Waterfalls exhibition is the next chapter in the City’s great cultural legacy — and we are exceptionally thrilled that internationally-renowned artist Olafur Eliasson has chosen New York City as his latest canvas.”
Public Art Fund is a non-profit art organization that has been presenting art projects in New York City since 1977, and The New York City Waterfalls is the organization’s most ambitious project to date. “For 30 years, the Public Art Fund has been bringing artists and New York City together by presenting innovative art projects for all to see,” said Susan K. Freedman, President of Public Art Fund. “ The New York City Waterfalls takes this tradition to a new level and exemplifies our commitment to working with artists who stretch the limits of public art and the forms it might take.”
Public Art Fund, working in partnership with Tishman Construction Corporation, engaged a team of almost 200 design, engineering and construction professionals to build the Waterfalls, which are constructed with building elements that are ubiquitous throughout New York. Actual construction scaffolding forms the backbone of the Waterfalls, and pumps will cycle water from the East River to the top of each structure before it falls back into the river. Following the completion of The New York City Waterfalls in October, all scaffolding will be re-used in subsequent construction projects.
“Eliasson's Waterfalls emerge from his consideration of the historic and architectural conditions of the physical environments surrounding them. He has found a way to integrate the spectacular beauty of nature into the urban landscape on a dramatic scale,” said Rochelle Steiner, Director of Public Art Fund and curator of The New York City Waterfalls.
Public Art Fund joined with government agencies and environmental organizations to develop resources for young people and adults to enjoy the Waterfalls. Partners include the City’s Department of Education, Department of Environmental Protection and the US National Park Service, and environmental groups including Riverkeeper, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance (MWA), New York Restoration Project (NYRP), as well as Urban Assembly’s New York Harbor School, a public school that engages students through the study of the marine culture, history, and environment of New York City and its surrounding waters. Printed materials include guides for enjoying and learning about the Waterfalls and New York City’s riverfront, as well as classroom lessons for students and activities for summer camp groups. These materials will examine the waterfront through the topics of art, history, environmental responsibility, aquatic life, ecology, water conservation, and other related subjects, and can be downloaded from www.nycwaterfalls.org in conjunction with the opening.
The Waterfalls have been designed to be sensitive to the environment, protecting fish and aquatic life by filtering the water through intake pools suspended in the river beneath each structure. The Waterfalls will also run on “green power” — electricity generated from renewable resources — and will be lit with LED lights. “The Waterfalls will help a new generation of New Yorkers discover our great waterfront and encourage us all to become stewards for its continued revitalization and lasting protection,” said Riverkeeper President Alex Matthiessen. “The project itself is a model of green design and, importantly, is protective of key aquatic habitat.” The Waterfalls will be temporarily turned off in the event of extreme winds or storms, or if there is a power shortage due to hot weather.
Olafur Eliasson was born in Copenhagen in 1967, and grew up in both Iceland and Denmark. He attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and currently divides his time between his family home in Copenhagen and his studio in Berlin. Studio Olafur Eliasson is a laboratory for spatial research that employs a team of 30 architects, engineers, craftsmen, and assistants who work together to conceptualize, test, engineer, and construct installations, sculptures, large-scale projects and commissions. Recent works reflect Eliasson’s increased interest in architecture and the built environment. Since the mid-1990s, he has presented his work in numerous exhibitions and outdoor venues. He is perhaps best known for The weather project (2003) at Tate Modern in London, a giant sun made of 200 yellow lamps, mirrors, and mist that transformed the museum’s massive Turbine Hall and drew over 2 million visitors during its five-month installation. His work is currently the subject of a major mid-career retrospective, Olafur Eliasson: Take Your Time, at The Museum of Modern Art and PS 1 Contemporary Art Center in New York, on view through June 30, 2008.
A series of suggested vantage points around the waterfront in Brooklyn and Manhattan as well as at Governors Island are outlined in a free map which will be available on the Waterfalls website, www.nyc waterfalls.org, and distributed throughout the city in conjunction with the opening. The Department of Transportation in collaboration with Public Art Fund has organized suggested bike routes around the Waterfalls which are marked by a waterfall icon on the street. A map of recommended bike routes will also be available on the Waterfalls website, in conjunction with the opening.
New Yorkers and visitors from around the world can experience the Waterfalls, which can be seen on foot, by bike or by boat. Circle Line Downtown, the official water tour operator of The New York City Waterfalls, is offering free and specially-priced daily boat tours to view the Waterfalls. A select number of free tickets for this official 30-minute journey is available for tours each day by calling 866-921-4631. Organized by the Public Art Fund in partnership with Circle Line Downtown, the special boat trips will leave from Pier 16, South Street Seaport in Manhattan, will include an audio introduction by the artist, and will provide up-close views of the Waterfalls throughout the duration of the exhibition. There are several other Circle Line Downtown experiences to view the Waterfalls, including the Shark speedboat thrill ride, Happy Hour on the Harbor and others, all featuring up-close views of all four Waterfalls. For details see www.circleline downtown.com.
The always free Governors Island and Staten Island Ferries will also provide views of the Waterfalls on Governors Island and at the Brooklyn Piers. The Staten Island Ferry runs daily, and the six-minute Governor’s Island Ferry will run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the duration of the project.
Project Support
The New York City Waterfalls by Olafur Eliasson is presented by the Public Art Fund, in collaboration with the City of New York. This project is presented in partnership with Tishman Construction Corporation, with Water Tours provided by Circle Line Downtown, and assistance from Consolidated Edison and Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP. It is made possible in part by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which is funded through Community Development Block Grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Lead supporters include Bloomberg LP, Agnes Gund and Daniel Shapiro, Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, and The Rockefeller Foundation. Major support has been provided by The Wachovia Foundation, Carson Family Charitable Trust, Charina Endowment Fund, CIT, Forest City Ratner Companies, The Leonard and Evelyn Lauder Foundation, The Silverweed Foundation and Ann Tenenbaum and Thomas H. Lee. Generous support has been provided by Fiona and Stanley Druckenmiller, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, Debra and Leon D. Black, Cindy and Tom Secunda, Anonymous, Danish Ministry of Culture, The Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, Kathy and Richard S. Fuld, Jr., Danielle and David Ganek, Marc Haas Foundation, Mimi and Peter Haas, Hamleys, Jennifer and Matthew Harris, Jill and Peter Kraus, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Peter Norton Family Foundation, Steven Rattner, David Rockefeller, Judy and Michael Steinhardt, Tiffany & Co., Tishman Speyer, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, with additional funds from Vital Projects Fund, Inc., American Express, Donald A. Capoccia, James R. Dinan and Elizabeth R. Miller, Judy and Jamie Dimon, Lauren and Martin Geller, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Robert W. Johnson IV Charitable Trust, Leonard Litwin, Nancy and Duncan MacMillan, Donald B. Marron Charitable Trust, Merrill Lynch & Co. Foundation, Inc., The New York Mets Foundation, Inc., Nancy and Morris W. Offit, Peter Peterson, Jack Resnick & Sons, Inc., The Marshall Rose Family Foundation, Aby Rosen / RFR Holding LLC, Stephen M. Ross / The Related Companies, Steven Roth, Structure Tone, David Teiger, Van Wagner Communications, LLC, The Walt Disney Company, Joan and Sanford Weill, Merryl and Charles Zegar Foundation, ICAP North America, The ABNY Foundation, Brookfield Properties, Elise and Andrew Brownstein, The Durst Organization, EMC Corporation, Eugene M. Grant & Co., LLC, Extell Development Company, Gilder Foundation, Goldman Sachs, The William and Mary Greve Foundation, IBM, International Integrated Solutions, Nastasi & Associates Inc., Anna Marie and Robert F. Shapiro, Larry A. Silverstein/Silverstein Properties, Carmen and John Thain, The Jonathan M. Tisch Foundation, Laurie M. Tisch Illuminations Fund, The Steve Tisch Foundation, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Barbara J. Fife, Daniel and Estrellita Brodsky Family Foundation, Melva Bucksbaum, Creative Link for the Arts, Constellation NewEnergy, Egg Electric, Fifth Floor Foundation, Nathalie and Charles de Gunzburg, Ann and Gilbert Kinney, Holly and Jonathan Lipton, Edward John Noble Foundation, Ninah and Michael Lynne, Nortel, Donna and Benjamin M. Rosen, Jonathan Sobel & Marcia Dunn, and David Wine and Michael MacElhenny. Assistance has been provided by SEAL Security LLC, A-Val Architectural Metal Corporation, BP Mechanical Corp., Cosmopolitan Decorating Co. Inc., Hugh J. Freund, Glenn Fuhrman, Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, Elizabeth S. and Steven B. Gruber, George and Mariana Kaufman, Movado Group, NBC Universal, Patty Newburger and Brad Wechsler, Red Crane Foundation, Joanne and Paul Schnell, Charles Short, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP, Melissa and Robert Soros, Billie Tsien and Tod Williams, Jeanette Sarkisian Wagner, Brennan Brothers Company, Inc., Donnelly Mechanical Corp., Abby Kinsley and Richard Davison, OHM Electrical Corp, Tri-State Dismantling Corp., Randye and Gerald Blitstein, Sara Fitzmaurice and Perry Rubenstein, Anonymous, Peter and Linda Ezersky, Marilynn and Ivan Karp, Allen Kolkowitz and Christopher Kusske, The American-Scandinavian Foundation, Joan Feeney and Bruce Phillips, Beatrice and Lloyd Frank, Hilary and Peter Hatch, Jenny Dixon and John Boone, Katherine and Richard Kahan and the Frances and Jack Levy Foundation.
Public Art Fund
Since 1977, Public Art Fund (www.publicartfund.org) has worked with over 500 emerging and established artists to produce innovative temporary exhibitions of contemporary art throughout New York City. By bringing artworks outside the traditional context of museums and galleries, Public Art Fund provides a unique platform for an unparalleled encounter with the art of our time. Current projects presented by Public Art Fund on view in New York include Chris Burden’s What My Dad Gave Me at Rockefeller Center though July 19; James Yamada’s Our Starry Night at Doris C. Friedman Plaza at 60th Street and Fifth Avenue, through October 28; and Everyday Eden at the MetroTech Center in Brooklyn through September 7. Recent critically acclaimed exhibitions and presentations include Rodney Graham’s The Rodney Graham Band live, featuring the amazing Rotary Psycho-Opticon at the Abrons Arts Center (April 2008); Sarah Lucas’s Perceval at Doris C. Freedman Plaza (2008); Dara Friedman's Musical at multiple midtown Manhattan locations (2007); Alexander Calder in New York at City Hall Park (2006-7); Martin Creed’s Variety Show at the Abrons Arts Center (2007); Sarah Morris’s Robert Towne at Lever House (2006-7); Anish Kapoor’s Sky Mirror at Rockefeller Center (2006); Sarah Sze’s Corner Plot at Doris C. Freedman Plaza (2006) and Nancy Rubins’s Big Pleasure Point at Lincoln Center, in 2006.
Public Art Fund is a non-profit art organization supported by generous contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations, and with funds from National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
Olafur Eliasson,The weather project, Tate Modern, London, 2003, In this installation, Eliasson introduced an artificial climate in the Tate’s Turbine Hall in London. The ceiling of the cavernous space was lined with mirrors that doubled the height of the space and reflected the viewers below. At one side of the hall abutting the ceiling, yellow monofrequency bulbs in a semi-spherical shape were reflected in the mirror to resemble a brilliant sun. Throughout the course of the day, vaporizers released mist into the space, © Olafur Eliasson. |
