Times Square Arts to Unveil Immersive Installation Today

Times Square Arts, the largest public platform for contemporary performance and visual arts, is pleased to present THE POEM, an immersive public art installation by Cuban artist Raúl Cordero. The public unveiling will feature remarks from Raúl Cordero and a choral performance by Peace of Heart Choir to officially welcome the public to the installation. The unveiling will take place at 2pm EST today, April 8th, in Times Square's Duffy Square.

THE POEM is a large-scale sculptural tower that features an illuminated text interior juxtaposed by a landscaped exterior of cascading mountain laurel foliage, The installation intends to provide a unique and transformative experience in which visitors can momentarily transcend the bustling activity of Times Square and the district's monumental scale and energy. In the heart of an attention economy, Cordero plays with the architecture of Times Square to offer us a gift of poetry and art.

The unveiling will feature remarks from Times Square Arts Director Jean Cooney, Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris, and artist Raúl Cordero.

ABOUT TIMES SQUARE ARTS
Times Square Arts, the public art program of the Times Square Alliance, collaborates with contemporary artists and cultural institutions to experiment and engage with one of the world's most iconic urban places. Through the Square's electronic billboards, public plazas, vacant areas and popular venues, and the Alliance's own online landscape, Times Square Arts invites leading contemporary creators, such as Mel Chin, Tracey Emin, Jeffrey Gibson, Ryan McGinley, Yoko Ono, and Kehinde Wiley, to help the public see Times Square in new ways. Times Square has always been a place of risk, innovation and creativity, and the Arts Program ensures these qualities remain central to the district's unique identity.

ABOUT RAÚL CORDERO
Known for his large format blurry paintings with dotted texts and his endless investigation into the structure and language of an artwork, Raúl Cordero (Havana, 1971) has successfully merged figurative painting and text-based conceptual art throughout his career. Exhibiting in museums and galleries around the world, while establishing a very personal universe that explores the visual manifestation of language and investigates the cognitive links between "looking at" and "reading" art.

ABOUT PEACE OF HEART CHOIR
Peace of Heart Choir, which came together shortly after September 11, 2011, is a collective of volunteer community members who sing together to promote healing, diversity, community bonding, and mutual understanding in the New York City metropolitan area. To fulfill this mission, the choir performs free concerts for non-profit organizations, such as shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and others, as well as free public concerts.

Pictured: Rendering of THE POEM. Image courtesy of Raul Cordero and Times Square Arts.