MEETING BOWLS A PUBLIC ART PROJECT BY MMMM...

15/09/2011. SPANISH CULTURE NEW YORK. Consulate General of Spain in New York. [NYC] USA
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA

The Meeting Bowls are social places for meeting and getting to know people, places for group discussion that promote a sense of community in a large city. Contemporary to the recent Spanish 15-M Movement, and similar in aspiration, the Meeting Bowls will encourage dialogue and interaction in the most important main square in the world, Times Square.

Photographs by Ka-Man Tse for the Times Square Alliance.

Photographs by Ka-Man Tse for the Times Square Alliance.

Meeting Bowls are large objects shaped like bowls with seating to accommodate eight people. The inviting semi-spherical capsules are installed outdoors in spaces with high pedestrian traffic. They are designed to promote interaction by having those seated inside face one another. These "social" benches are more intimate than typical public benches.

The Meeting Bowls are designed to generate a slight rocking motion as they rebalance when people step into and out of them. The gentle motion generated is intended to be relaxing and fun much like a swing but one for adults.

Temporary and playful urban furniture, they encourage friendly dialogue between strangers in a close yet pleasant space. Meeting Bowls are meeting points and also places to interact; they help humanize a large city.

Meeting Bowls is a Public Art Project supported by the Times Square Alliance, University of Alcalá, Consulate General of Spain in New York and Spain Culture New York. During the 30-day event, the Alliance estimates that approximately 10,000,000 pedestrians will see Meeting Bowls and tens of thousands will take photographs.

Venue.- Times Square. 46th and Broadway, New York
From August, 16 to September 16, 2011

mmmm… is a collaboration of Alberto Alarcón, Emilio Alarcón, Ciro Márquez and Eva Salmerón from Madrid, Spain.
For more information, link below.