Dumbo Projection Project Lights Up the Neighborhood With Art

By Meaghan McGoldrick O’Neil, Brooklyn Paper

The highly anticipated third volume of The Dumbo Projection Project launched Thursday night, transforming the heart of Dumbo into one large art show, with video installations gracing the iconic Manhattan Bridge and along the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

The next chapter of the project, titled “Out Here,” invites viewers on whimsical and unexpected journeys, blending real-life elements, animation, and hand-drawn art to explore the concept of home.

Its collection of works — sponsored by the Dumbo Improvement District — illuminates both the Pearl Street and Adams Street sides of the bridge, as well as along the BQE in Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park. The projections will be on view Thursdays through Sundays from dusk to 10 p.m. through April 12, with additional showings slated for April 18, 19, and 20.

“Out Here” features installations from artists Nancy Sepe, aricoco, Jillian McDonald, and Eirini Linardaki.

On the Manhattan Bridge at Adams Street, passersby can catch Sepe’s “The Acorns’ Big Adventure” and aricoco’s “Dress for Today no.9 – The Lazy One.” “The Acorns’ Big Adventure” seamlessly integrates video content into sculptural objects, organizers said, while aricoco’s work delves into personal and communal interpretations of home.

McDonald’s “Animals On the Verge” can be seen on the Manhattan Bridge at Pearl Street, utilizing augmented reality to blend Google’s 3D animals with hand-drawn elements, creating a mesmerizing experience for viewers. On the BQE in Susan Smith McKinney Steward Park, Sepe’s “Big Top” offers a montage of thematic videos, while Linardaki’s “Diaphanous” incorporates fabrics from Newark, New Jersey communities.

The Dumbo Projection Project is the largest scale projection project or exhibition in Brooklyn to date and, following the success of the project’s debut, will continue annually and be held each winter. Works were selected from more than 200 submissions.

“Public art helps make our city’s iconic infrastructure even more beautiful and vibrant, and New York’s public realm even more welcoming,” said New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in a statement. “I applaud the Dumbo Improvement District for their partnership in bringing world class art to millions of New Yorkers and visitors.”

The exhibition highlights not just the beauty of New York City, but also the significant contributions that Dumbo has made within the artistic community.

“We are so delighted to give Brooklyn a new epic scale home for projection art,” said Alexandria Sica, president of the Dumbo Improvement District. “Where else can you see trucks, taxis, and subways passing by atop world class video art? The scale is exciting and the community will be delighted with the remarkable breadth of work to brighten the dark days of winter.”

All installations of the project will be showcased during the Dumbo Open Studios weekend on April 13 and 14.

The Dumbo Projection Project is supported by the New York City Department of Small Business Services, the New York City Department of Transportation and NYC DOT ART, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and Leo Kuelbs Collection.

— Additional reporting by Isabel Song Beer

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

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