October 18 - November 21, 2016

New York, NY – October 14, 2016 – Times Square Arts, Cuban Artists Fund and Cuban artist Rachel Valdés Camejo bring The Beginning of the End, an interactive and reflective monument that asks visitors to investigate the relationship of the viewer to the object and its surrounding space, to the Broadway Plaza between 46th and 47th Streets from October 18 – November 21, 2016. An unveiling will take place on Tuesday, October 18th at 11:00 am.

Through a corridor of three mirrored surfaces, a floor and two angled walls, the interactive installation captures and multiplies the environment of Times Square on either side and allows visitors to walk on a reflection of the sky under their feet. Rachel Valdés Camejo’s contemplative monument – her first solo show in the United States – asks visitors to step inside and reassess their perspective on an entirely different visual reality, how they see themselves in the environment that surrounds them, and how that relationship changes as the reflections create new visual possibilities.

Sherry Dobbin, Times Square Arts Director, said, “This work pulls in the sky to draw it underneath your feet, wrapping Times Square completely around your body. The natural skyscape, the electronic billboards and the office buildings combine in a human kaleidoscope, in which each twist of your body brings about new perspectives.”

Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance, said, “Times Square has always been a reflection of America and ourselves. Ms. Camejo’s work allows the marvelous mix of people in Times Square to intersect in ever-new ways.”

Rachel Valdés Camejo, artist, said, “For me it is wonderful to have this opportunity to present my work in a public space such as Times Square. It is certainly a place totally different from the environments where I have shown my installations before. My pieces always work according to the environment that concern them and in this case will be very different. I build objects to create dialogues between human beings, the object and space. So far the other environments in which I worked are quieter places, even places that become inhospitable, so to have my work this time in a place where so many people pass, and in a city like New York, it gives a whole other visual and conceptual possibility to my work.”

Carlos Pomares, Cuban Artists Fund Executive Director, said, “The Cuban Artists Fund is very excited to once again collaborate with the Times Square Alliance. As our past collaborations have proven, Times Square is a premiere platform to showcase the best of Cuban arts and culture to the world. We have witnessed a significant increase artists’ visibility as a direct result of this collaboration. We firmly believe the strong art projects this Fall by artists Emilio Peréz and Rachel Valdés Camejo will continue the tradition of exceptional artistic expression as both are highly regarded artists.”

The Beginning of the End will be on view October 18 – November 21, 2016 on the Broadway Plaza between 46th and 47th Streets.

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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 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. Generous support of Times Square Arts is provided by ArtPlace America and ArtWorks. Visit TimesSquareNYC.org/Arts for more information. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @TSqArts.

Rachel Valdés Camejo was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1990 and continues to live and work there. In 2010, she graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts "San Alejandro" with a focus on painting. She has recently made a personal exhibition entitled "Into the Space" at the Center for Development of Visual Arts in Cuba, and has participated in the last two Biennials of Havana with works of significant size, titled "Happily Ever After," "Blue Cube,” and “Composition Infinita." She has recently left a permanent installation titled "Blue Cube" in the Castle of San Salvador de la Punta, in Old Havana. http://www.rachelvaldescamejo.com

The Cuban Artists Fund (CAF) was established in 1998 to foster the vitality and spirit of Cuban artists in United States, Cuba and throughout the Diaspora community, to raise global awareness and understanding of Cuban cultural achievements, to build an international network of support and partnerships for the Cuban arts community, and to play a leadership role in promoting better understanding among American, Cuban, and Cuban Diaspora artists, art professionals, academics, and communities. www.cubanartistsfund.org

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Media Contacts:

For Times Square Arts:

TJ Witham
212.452.5234 | TJWitham@TimesSquareNYC.org

Marisa Wayne
212.843.9216 | MWayne@Rubenstein.com