A new piece of installation artwork has found a home at the northeast corner of Fordham Road and Webster Avenue.
The Fordham Road Business Improvement District worked closely with the NYC Department of Transportation’s Art Program to secure the piece, which moved to the Fordam neighborhood in November.
Daniel Bernstein, deputy director of the Fordam Road BID along with the artists known as ‘Stereotank’ and members of the DOT Art Program celebrated the offical unveiling of the structure on January 19.
“We love the sculpture,” said DOT Art Program Coordinator Courtney Whitelocke, who worked to secure the installation.
The art program aims to beautify and invigorate communites with temporary installations.
The sculpture, now titled ‘HeartSeat’ was originally called ‘HeartBeat’, and was on display in Times Square as a public sound installation.
The artistic duo Stereotank created the piece for Times Square Valentine 2015, an artistic competition presented by the Times Square Alliance and The Architectural League of New York.
The selection panel choose Stereotank’s ‘Heartbeat’ from seven different design proposals and soon after the piece was born.
The idea behind ‘Heartbeat’ was to show the similarities between love and music, and how both cannot be created without being in tune with others. However, after its initial showing in Times Square, the artists wanted to give the piece new life.
Sara Valente, who hails from Venezuela and makes up half of Stereotank, said she wanted to make the structure accessible and not just beautiful.
“We thought a heart is nice…but how can people use it,” she said. So the duo took the heart shape apart, changed the name to ‘HeartSeat’ and created a new structure which serves as two back to back red benches while still retaining its artistic elegance.
The installation is now making its way through the boroughs, and has visited Dumbo, Fort Greene Park, and now Fordam where it will remain for one year.
“We were excited that the DOT agreed to place HeartSeat here for one year…this way it has found a semi-permanent home,” said Marcelo Ertorteguy of Stereotank.
‘HeartSeat’ will take the place of ‘Tomorrow’ the sculpture that was previously on display in the same location. ‘Tomorrow’ was relocated in April 2015 to the Andrew Freedman Home, on the Grand Concourse.
The BID will be organizing tours with the artist in the coming months. To schedule a tour visit fordhamroad.nyc.
