The Waterfall at the Brooklyn Bridge.

A major new work of temporary public art by internationally acclaimed artist Olafur Eliasson, The New York City Waterfalls, will be on display in New York City from June 26 - October 13, 2008. Commissioned by the Public Art Fund, the project consists of four monumental, man-made waterfalls installed for three months at four sites along the shores of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Governors Island.

Two of the falls will be on the site of the future Brooklyn Bridge Park: one by the Brooklyn anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge, the other between Piers 4 and 5 at Furman and Joralemon Streets. A third waterfall will be located in Lower Manhattan at Pier 35, and the fourth on the north shore of Governors Island. The 90 to 120-foot tall installations, which have been designed to protect water quality and aquatic life, will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, and will be lit after sunset, adding a striking element to New York City’s iconic skyline.

The New York City Waterfalls will be constructed using building elements that are ubiquitous throughout New York: scaffolding is the backbone of the structures, and pumps will bring water from the East River to the top; the water then falls from heights of 90 to 120 feet back into the river. Fish and aquatic life are protected by filtering the water through intake pools suspended in the river.

The New York City Waterfalls will be visible by land and boat, and because of their proximity to one another, viewers will be able to see multiple waterfalls from various vantage points in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Governors Island. Dedicated boat journeys to view the Waterfalls, organized by the Public Art Fund in partnership with Circle Line Downtown, will leave from Pier 16 in Manhattan and will provide up-close views of the installations. The Circle Line will provide free and discounted trips daily for the public. The free Governors Island Ferry, which will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the length of the project, and the Staten Island Ferry will also provide views of the waterfalls at Governors Island and between Piers 4 and 5 in the future Brooklyn Bridge Park.

For more information, see www.nycwaterfalls.org.

About the Artist
Born in Copenhagen in 1967, Olafur Eliasson has taken inspiration from natural elements and phenomena, such as light, wind, fog, and water, to create sculptures and installations that evoke sensory experiences. He is perhaps best known for The weather project (2003) at Tate Modern in London, a giant sun made of 200 yellow lamps, mirrors and mist that transformed the museum’s massive Turbine Hall and drew over 2 million visitors during its five-month installation.

Brooklyn Piers (between Piers 4 and 5 in the future Brooklyn Bridge Park).

Pier 35 in Manhattan.		Governors Island.