5 Must-See Outdoor Art Installations in NYC this Summer

Wait in line for an eternity. Purchase a costly ticket. Check your bag. Wander aimlessly through a sea of bodies only to find out that the exhibition you came to view is temporarily closed due to a private event. Sometimes the tranquil experience of visiting a museum is offset by the crowds and triple tier ticketing. Fortunately, the streets and parks of NYC are dotted with amazing art installations. Here are our top recommendations for this summer:

Diana Al-Hadid, “Delirious Matter”  

For her first major public art project, Diana Al-Hadid has installed a collection of absorbing sculptures in the colorful gardens and green lawns of Madison Square Park. Using an additive process, her sculptures seem to both materialize out and seep into the earth, creating an intimate bond with the surrounding environment. As you wander through the park, you will have visions of both the ruins of ancient empires and the unventured landscapes of distant worlds. Madison Square Park. Through Sept 3. 

Playlab, Inc., "Grown Up Flowers"

A playful installation of inflated flowers has taken over Sixth Avenue. Take a stroll down this bustling thoroughfare and you’ll be pleasantly greeted by six colorful puffy flowers. One floats in a fountain, another stands tall, and others droop down to say hello to passerbys. A tongue-and cheek reminder to stop and smell the roses. Park Avenue between 44th and 55th Sts. Through July 2018. Jacob Hashimoto, “Never Comes Tomorrow” and “The Eclipse”Hashimoto’s imaginative installations have found a home on Governors Island. From colorful time warp tunnels to undulating waves of rice paper kites, Hashimoto invites the viewer into his dreamlike world. On view until October 31, these works are definitely worth checking out. Governors Island. Through October 31. 

Erwin Wurm, “Hot Dog Bus”

A pudgy hot dog slangin’  VW bus has made its way to Brooklyn Bridge Park this summer. The artist is inviting visitors to indulge in a free hot dog as they check out his bulbous mustard yellow bus. Wurn intends for us to ponder our own over-consumption as we wolf down an American classic.  An absurd blague that's hard not to participate in. Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn. Through Aug 26.  Pier 1 (Saturdays) or Pier 5 (Sundays) between 12 and 6pm 

Virginia Overton, “Built”

Sculptor Virginia Overton has taken over Socrates Sculpture Garden. Her industrial works, created with mostly found materials, are a testament to the artist’s ability to breath life into the rusty relics of a bygone era. Familiar forms take up new identities. Pick-up trucks become bubbling water fountains and steel beams twist to create a colossal diamond. Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens. Through Sept 3 Check out our neighborhood guides for more things to do in beautiful Brooklyn!Follow us on Instagram @brooklynschooloflanguagesBy Cory Keny