Manhattan West Digital Canvas: For the Time Being

The Manhattan West Digital Canvas, presented by Arts Brookfield, features new or adapted digital artworks by renowned artists from around the globe on a massive, custom-made media screen located on the outdoor plaza at Manhattan West. Measuring over 100 feet wide and 17 feet tall, artworks presented on this unique media platform will offer a moment of captivation and contemplation to all.

The 202-23 Digital Canvas will feature For the Time Being, curated by Superblue, which brings together the works of four artists who examine the natural rhythms of life – the fundamental exchange of energy between organisms and their environments. Whether one is simply passing by, or finding a place to pause; this rhythm, complex yet often unnoticed, is brought forth here to imbue a new sense for slowness. The work that is featured includes Windscreen by Simon Heijdens, Drawing Breath by Risa Puno, Life in a Day (repeat) by Random International, and Catharsis by Jakob Kudsk Steensen.

The exhibition calls for moments that invite visitors to heighten their senses in observing the world around them. The cathartic, quiet pace of the artworks explores how one breathes amidst the complexities of their livelihoods, how forests can flourish undisturbed, how water sways to the mildest gusts of wind, and how life, be it artificial or natural, evolves. The artists in For the Time Being offer truths about our world to not only accentuate its sublimities, but also to recognize the challenges hidden behind every moment of growth and beauty. 

Using innovative technologies and creative storytelling, these works welcome visitors to be immersed in feelings of wonder and introspection. Instinctively, we create narratives from the complex behaviors we observe around us – everything from simple gestures to familiar patterns seen in nature.  This common human attribute enables us to feel connections between different forms of beings and shows hope for a remediation of the natural order of life. 

As we continue to collectively experience the turbulence of this world, the works presented in For the Time Being recognize and share a reverence towards the need to connect with the rhythms of life by bringing together a sense of nowness, all before it is time for us to carry on to our next destinations. 

The 2022-23 Digital Canvas series is curated by Superblue, and features works including Windscreen by Simon Heijdens, Drawing Breath by Risa Puno, Life in a Day (repeat) by Random International, and Catharsis by Jakob Kudsk Steensen.

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