Fourteen oversized sculptures with raised hands will provide a warm welcome to New Yorkers and visitors as part of the Garment District Alliance’s latest public art exhibit Here. Created by artist Santi Flores, Here symbolizes unity, diversity and individuality, and will be dedicated to all New Yorkers and visitors passing through the neighborhood.
Crafted from steel, concrete and enamel paint, Flores’ sculptures vary in size, with the largest of the series towering over the streets of Midtown Manhattan at 14-feet-tall. Visitors can find these sculptures located on Broadway in the Garment District, between 38th and 41st Streets.
The installation – which is free and has been extended through October 23, 2022 – is part of Garment District Art on the Plazas, a year-round public art program made possible through Arterventions, a subpart of the New York City Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Art Program. The Garment District Alliance and DOT work closely to coordinate and install exhibits and individual pieces, which enhance public plazas and make them even more welcoming to New Yorkers.
“Santi’s installation poses a powerful message about the importance of diversity and unity, which are elements that make New York one of the greatest cities in the world,” said Barbara A. Blair, president of the Garment District Alliance. “We are proud to showcase these wonderful sculptures in the heart of Midtown in the Garment District, and we encourage all to visit the exhibition, snap photos, and take in its inspiring meaning.”
Flores is dedicating Here to local New Yorkers and visitors in the Garment District, and created the series of sculptures to instill hope as the New York City community looks toward the future. Each sculpture features the same raised hand gesture, but is unique in color and markings on their “skin” – representing the diversity and individuality of the people of New York City, while sending a message of unity. To further develop his artistic language, Flores produces his works based on his surroundings, including people, feelings, and relationships.
Flores is a plastic and visual artist and musician from Albacete, Spain. He has exhibited his work extensively at museums and galleries in New York and across the world including several cities in Spain, Italy and Germany. Flores received his superior degree from the School of Crafts of Albacete, and taught at the Albacete City Council School of Crafts.
Follow Santi Flores on Instagram.
The Garment District is home to diverse business sectors from technology to hospitality and includes thousands of people working in the creative economy, including fine and performing artists, designers, architects, photographers and more than a hundred theaters, galleries, performance spaces and studios.
While you’re there, walk up to Times Square to view artist Raúl Cordero’s ‘The Poem‘