I had been meaning to see the newly opened segment of the High Line, which is now that much easier to reach thanks to the newly opened Hudson Yards Station on the 7 line. On Friday, I hopped on the 7 to the High Line to find a nice spot to enjoy a second breakfast and reflect on what had been a truly blessed start to my day.
As I looked for a quiet spot to perch with my pain au chocolat, I came upon Olafur Eliasson's The collectivity project, a delightful installation that gives parkgoers a chance to play with legos and create their own imaginary cityscape. Since opening to the public on May 29, the white lego blocks have been put together and taken apart in myriad ways. Whether young or old, it's good fun to play with lego pieces and leave your mark on the piece. The collectivity project will be there until September 30, 2015 so if you haven't been yet, do come out and play!
The new segment of the High Line starts on 34th Street, where you can get a view of all the parked trains. There's still a lot of construction going on in the area, as this area of Manhattan rapidly develops around the new subway stop and park space.
I enjoyed my breakfast on a quiet bench then continued my walk on the High Line. I came across various pieces from the Panorama exhibition scattered throughout the park. One of my favorite pieces is this marble fountain by Ryan Gander, sculpted in his wife's likeness. Press the button and water playfully streams out of the bust's mouth.
I came across a number of cool sculptures by Damián Ortega dotting the park. His pieces, which are sculpted in the shapes of graffiti tags and frame different scenes in the High Line, seem right at home in this city with a long history of urban art.
In between sculptures, I marveled at how the park has flourished. The High Line itself looks and feels like an evolving piece of art. It's fascinating to see how nature is sprawling through and interacting with the old train tracks that make up this park.
In one corner of the park, Elmgreen & Dragset, who are known for their site specific art, put up a clever piece: a colossal and non-functional bronze telescope that draws attention to an oft-overlooked vista of the Statue of Liberty off in the distance in this section of the High Line.
I ended my stroll at 14th Street, where Mariana Castillo Deball erected columns crafted in collaboration with Oaxacan potters and commenting on the interaction between the archeological past and our present.
Banksy's large-scale image of Einstein holding aloft a sign that says, "Love is the Answer" is not part of the exhibit but nevertheless adds to the gorgeous panoramas of the High Line. It was also a fitting end, I thought, to my reflection on a morning that brought strong and much needed messages of peace and reconciliation from a man who truly embodies all-encompassing love.
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