The 22 Best New Public Art Pieces to See in NYC This Summer

Featured on ny.curbed.com

Great public art is a year-round given in New York City—and something that Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to increase— but it's during the late spring and early summer that creators and curators really seem to break out the big guns. Site-specific spectacles and festivals, interactive sculptural extravaganzas, weirdo installations, blow-out block parties: it's all going down (going up?) in the next few weeks. To make sure you don't miss a single Instagram-able cultural moment, here is a not-exhaustive look at 22 of the season's most exciting pieces, be they highly anticipated or already in place. And if you spot anything amazing that we've missed, please let the world know in the comments.

↑ Panorama, various artists, the High Line
Open now on the High Line is the group exhibition Panorama, for which 11 international artists contributed new sculptural works that explore the theme of "seeing and understanding the spectacle of nature." Highlights include Damien Ortega's Physical Graffiti series (above); Ryan Gander's marble portrait of his wife spitting water, which doubles as a drinking fountain; and Olafur Eliasson, last seen installing giant waterfallson our rivers, will soon unveil a cityscape made from two tons of white LEGOs, which you and everyone else are encouraged to rebuild again and again, just like the real New York. Through March 2016.

↑ Fata Morgana by Teresita Fernandez, Madison Square Park
The Mad. Sq. Art crew usually gives us something to talk about, and this season is no exception with Teresita Fernandez's mirrored tree canopy, Fata Morgana. Locals complained that the installation, which hovers over the main pathways surrounding the central lawn, would block out all of the sun, but it's pleasant dappled shade will be appreciated by all come July. Bonus: mirrors plus shadow play equals trippy tricks with perspective (and creative selfie opportunities). The installation opens June 1, but portions have been up for several weeks now. Through winter 2016.

↑ Kolonihavehus by Tom Fruin, Fulton Ferry at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Tom Fruin's stained-glass stunner between the Brooklyn Bridge and Jane's Carousel has been in a million Instagrams since its installation last September, but whatever, it still looks so beautiful, and at so many different times of day, that you'll probably break out your camera again anyway.

↑ Desire Lines by Tatiana Trouve, Central Park
The concept behind Tatiana Trove's Desire Lines is clever: each of those huge spools of different colored rope at the southeast corner of Central Park represent the length of one of the 212 distinct pathways within the park, ranging from 60 feet to four miles. Trouve then assigned each spool with some sort of famous walk in history or literature. Plus it just looks pretty, especially up close. Desperately needs an app or a map, though, so you could follow her footsteps. Through August 30.

Click here to see the full list of public art pieces.