The Heart-Beating Urban Drum Becomes Innovative Public Space Seating for One Week In March

Part of Armory Arts Week

 

(New York, February 24, 2015) — Times Square Arts announces that the Brooklyn- based, Venezuelan-born firm Stereotank, winner of this year’s annual Times Square Valentine Heart Design, will transform their design HeartBeat into innovative public seating complementing the iconic Duffy Square red steps. The design will then be called, HeartSeat, and will be available for sitting between March 3 and March 8 on Father Duffy Square, between 46th and 47th Street. This project is in partnership with The Architectural League of New York. There will be an official unveiling of HeartSeat on Monday, March 2 at 11 a.m. for press to gather b-roll, photos, and do interviews with the architects and organizers. The transformation is highlighted as part of Armory Arts Week on March 3.   

Sherry Dobbin, Director of Times Square Arts said, “HeartBeat has been such an engaging, massive instrument in Times Square throughout the cold days of February, and we are thrilled to have this young architecture firm transform their design into public seating as an arts highlight of Armory Week for the borough of Manhattan."

Stereotank architects Sara Valente and Marcelo Ertorteguy said, “We are very excited to extend the life of HeartBeat by transforming it into HeartSeat, a public seating sculpture that, after its time in Times Square, will become part of a public space in New York.”

Anne Rieselbach, Program Director of The Architectural League of New York said, “Physically and conceptually, the idea of ‘opening’ the heart of Times Square to provide public seating delightfully expands the program of the Times Square Valentine Heart to engage and even embrace the public.

ABOUT HEARTBEAT

HeartBeat is a heart-beating urban drum. This engagement sculpture consists of a massive heart glowing to the rhythm of a strong, deep and low frequency heartbeat sound. Visitors are encouraged to move around and engage with it by playing various percussion instruments and joining the base rhythm of the heartbeat. The audience is invited to come together and creatively play, listen, dance and feel the vibrations of the heart while enjoying the warm pulsating light. In the emblematic, active, flickering atmosphere of Times Square, HeartBeat orchestrates multiple rhythms into a unique urban concert.

Over the last seven years, the Times Square Alliance has invited architecture and design firms to submit proposals for a romantic public art installation celebrating Valentine’s Day in Times Square. This year’s winning design, HeartBeat will be unveiled on February 9, and remain on view through March 8th. HeartBeat will be located at Father Duffy Square, between 46th and 47th Streets. This is in partnership with The Architectural League of New York. Support provided by Arup.

Visitors can follow the conversation on Twitter using #HeartBeatTSq and #LoveTimesSquare.

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Times Square Arts, the public art program of the Times Square Alliance, collaborates with contemporary artists and cultural institutions to experiment and engage with one of the world's most iconic urban places. Through the Square's electronic billboards, public plazas, vacant areas and popular venues, and the Alliance's own online landscape, Times Square Arts invites leading contemporary creators to help the public see Times Square in new ways. Times Square has always been a place of risk, innovation and creativity, and the Arts Program ensures these qualities remain central to the district's unique identity. Generous support of Times Square Arts is provided by ArtPlace America and ArtWorks. Visit http://www.timessquarenyc.org/times-square-arts/index.aspx for more information. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @TSqArts.

About The Architectural League of New York:
The Architectural League of New York nurtures excellence in architecture, design, and urbanism, and stimulates thinking and debate about the critical design and building issues of our time. As a vital, independent forum for architecture and its allied disciplines, the League helps create a more beautiful, vibrant, innovative, and sustainable future. Visit archleague.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @archleague.

About Stereotank:
Marcelo Ertorteguy and Sara Valente, Venezuelan New York-based architects founded Stereotank to experiment with the common grounds between architecture, art and sound. Their focus lies on the research, design and construction of immersive installations in urban settings for the public engagement, often using found objects (or rather sought objects) as raw materials with the intention of exploring their re-configuration and their sound properties in space as another dimension of the material. Stereotank has participated in public art programs and festivals working with organizations such as the Architectural League and Pen World Voices for the Nolita Little Free Library in NYC, Kobe Biennale in Japan -receiving a honorable mention for the Cargo Guitar project, the Department of Transportation in NYC with the Cyclo-phone installation and Mall-terations project, Zooart in Italy, Bring to Light in Brooklyn and Make Music New York. Follow us on Twitter at @stereotank_info.