Times Square will be getting its first fountain…and it’s an odd one. Instead of ornate details, the new monument will be covered in nearly half a million colorful fingernails. The work of artist Pamela Council, the new edifice will be the largest ever iteration of their “Fountains for Black Joy” series of sculptures — standing at 18ft tall.
The work is commissioned by Times Square Arts and is entitled, ” A Fountain for Survivors.” Speaking to Artnet News on the work, Council stated “Fountains have this way of working in culture as meeting places, as gathering places, and places where people make wishes, giving people this ebullient sense of hope.” The New York-based artist states that their choice of materials is a way of “dealing with issues of adornment, Black fungibility, and visibility with a total tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.”
For an iconic square — perhaps thee most iconic square in the world — filled with a multitude of people of varying backgrounds and styles, Council’s work will surely add to the spectacle.
“A Fountain for Survivors” will be on view in Times Square, Duffy Square on 7th Avenue between West 46th and 47th Streets from October 7 to December 8.
Elsewhere in art, Ane Alfeiran will unveil a solo exhibition at Over the Influence in Hong Kong.
