Common Ground Exhibition: New Colorful Installation in Downtown Brooklyn

As you stroll through The Plaza at 300 Ashland in Downtown Brooklyn, you'll notice a colorful new public art installation. The installation "Common Ground" by Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong was presented by Brooklyn Community and the Van Alen Institute and will be on display until May 1st.

“Drawing inspiration from the geometry of sacred spaces, this architectural intervention transforms the square into an oasis for relaxation, socializing and meeting day and night,” says the official press release about the installation, which features a colorful landscape of seating that creates an incredibly photogenic image that , is expected to appear on all Instagram pages in the coming weeks.

The installation is highly interactive, featuring color-changing light displays and sensors that respond to environmental sounds—footsteps, human voices, traffic noise—and then flicker accordingly. Performances are expected to ignite the system and utilize the space throughout the exhibition period. "Common Ground creates a playful mood in the square, one of Brooklyn's everyday spaces," Wing-Z Wong said in a statement about her work. "At night, it becomes a kind of large-scale instrument that responds to the sounds of the environment - you can come sit, sing, play and enjoy art."

Below is a list of upcoming performances that will take place in the area around the new installation:

• 6 April

Peniel Guerrier and Krie Bode will bring the Haitian rara to the square and call 

everyone enjoy life 

• 13 April

dancer, choreographer and teacher Kendra J. Ross talks about her latest work in progress

• 20 April

female multicultural trio Soles of Duende will present an incendiary performance with elements of tap, flamenco and kathak dance

• 22 April

Pratt Institute's fashion department will wrap up the school year with "Junior Thesis," a fashion performance featuring selected works.