Have you heard about JR's huge eye at the New York City Ballet? JR is the French former street artist who has gained global fame for his imaginative and provocative installations all over the world, many of them intended to awaken people to the plight of the poor and the otherwise unseen and unheard.
I was fascinated by JR when he spoke at TED a while ago and knew that we would be hearing from him often...and that whatever he did would incite talk.
This latest installation is no exception. It occupies the entire 6500 square feet of floor in the promenade on the first floor of the David Koch Theater which houses the New York City Ballet. When you ascend to the fourth ring of the theatre and look down at the installation, you see that it is indeed a giant eye, of which the center is actually life size photos of New York City Ballet dancers.
What's great fun is that when people walk into the promenade area, they at first tread carefully, not sure whether they should actually walk on it. Soon, though, they are lying down next to one or more of the dancers and having their pictures taken.
It is certainly a way to get people to see classical ballet-and the people who make their living dancing it--in a new fresh way. And it has everyone who see it spreading the experience by word of mouth.
Here is the NYTimes article, with a video of it as well.
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