And finally: The Floral Heart Project
Juliana Kim of The Times writes:
The first time Kristina Libby, an artist based in Greenwich Village, left a giant floral wreath at Brooklyn Bridge Park, it was an intimate way of offering condolences to New York City when the pandemic peaked last spring. Soon after, people wanted to participate.
Its heart-shaped flower garlands to honor people affected by the coronavirus appeared on street corners, bridge walkways and park lawns, and became a meeting place for vigils, performances and open microphones where people who lost a loved one shared their stories.
Mrs. Libby’s effort became known as the Floral Heart Project. In partnership with 1-800-Flowers.com, garlands have appeared in more than a dozen locations, including Central Park, Carroll Gardens, Rockaway Beach, Long Island City and Jersey City, NJ. Each exhibition lasts three to seven days.
Libby also created a digital installation, “Heartbleed”, which is on display at SpreadLightNYC, a public art exhibition in TriBeCa, until February 28. In it, a 10-minute video shown in a window illustrates an accumulation of rose petals, each representing a life lost to Covid-19 in the United States.
Libby said she wanted to produce simple works of art that could resonate with all New Yorkers.
“It made sense to use flowers,” she said. “They are a gift of traditional sympathy and a heart was a very easy symbol for the message that I was trying to convey.”
With the pandemic almost a year long, Libby does not see the end of her floral project. “Pain is a huge burden that I believe will profoundly damage our country if we don’t help people to heal,” she said.
It’s Monday – take a moment to reflect.