Renowned American artist and sculptor, Nick Cave - not to be confused with the fantastic Australian musician of the same name - this week unveiled a horse-themed live art installation to celebrate the centennial of New York City's Grand Central Terminal that already has captured the imagination of the city's many thousands of daily commuters, and not to mention us too!
Running until the 31st March, HEARD NY, is a combination of performance art and sculpture which involves 30 costumed horses (or Soundsuits) grazing, moving and dancing on the main floor of the Vanderbilt Hall, to the sounds of live music from around the world.
The horses, although operated by pairs of live performers inside carefully-constructed costumes, the figures take on lives of their own, flitting in and out of moments of still movement and seemingly random choreography. The performances, spread throughout the day are intended as a colourful representation of how important Grand Central Terminal has been in bringing many different people from vastly different parts of the world together through its transport network.
But above all, it's also meant to provide an escape from the regularity of every day routine, and the hustle and bustle of the big city, and instead serve almost as an momentary escape from the grind for anyone with a child-like imagination and a of course a love of horses!
Each costume is uniquely designed, with each 'horse' being decorated with a mask made from hand-selected textiles from all over the world, almost giving each one its own fun identity! The piece has also been performed in other locations, so keep an eye out!
In the meantime, however, let your mind run free in the fields of your imagination and watch this great video of HEARD NY below!
