A Chorus
Brooklyn-based media artist Gabe Barcia-Colombo flips the script this May on the millions of visitors strolling through Times Square with A Chorus, a Renaissance style silent composition of a very Times Square scene: a crowd of New Yorkers pausing to witness something captivating yet unnamed. Featuring over 100 individuals, many of whom either work in or frequent Times Square, the artwork draws a frame around the notion of community and the shared experiences that make up daily life in a post-pandemic New York City.
“How does a city heal from being separated for so long, when so much of its interactions are in person, face to face? I created this idea after waiting for my first train ride post-pandemic. It was beautiful to see faces again, to see people smile and scream and cry on the subway. I wanted to capture this feeling of beauty and anxiety.” — Gabriel Barcia-Colombo
Within the artwork, some observers stand in contemplative thought while others snap photos of the awe-inspiring subject, intentionally omitted from the screen. Are these individuals merely observing the plaza below, or are they participating in something sublime, confounding, or even disturbing? Evocative of a Greek chorus, which comments on collective hopes, fears and joys, A Chorus turns the tables on the dynamic between spectacle and audience. Moreover, it serves as a reflection on the barometers of social connection, often overshadowed by our mobile devices and technological distractions.
ABOUT GABRIEL BARCIA-COLOMBO
Gabriel Barcia-Colombo is a Brooklyn based media artist whose work takes the form of video sculptures, immersive performances, large scale projections and vending machines that sell human DNA. His practice plays upon this modern exigency in our culture to chronicle, preserve and wax nostalgic, an idea which Barcia-Colombo renders visually by “collecting” human portraits on video.
Midnight Moment is made possible by the Times Square Advertising Coalition, ABC SuperSign, American Eagle, Branded Cities, Clear Channel, Coca-Cola, Disney Store, Diversified, Express, Heritage Outdoor Media, Levi's, LG, Line Friends, McDonald's, Midtown Financial, Microsoft, Morgan Stanley, New Tradition, Outfront, Prudential, Sensory Interactive, Sephora, Sherwood Equities, Show + Tell, Silvercast, Swatch, TSX, and T-Mobile.
Major support of Times Square Arts is provided by Morgan Stanley. Additional program support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature; and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional support for Midnight Moment is provided by Meta Open Arts and the Times Square Advertising Coalition.
