The traveling art installation Electric Dandelions has officially arrived in Hoboken and was unveiled this past Friday, February 23, at the Hoboken waterfront. The Electric Dandelions project was an initiative by the Hoboken Business Alliance as part of their commitment to “creating a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere for residents and visitors of the city to enjoy.”
The art installations, depicting large dandelions of multicolored light, can be enjoyed by all of the city’s residents and visitors until Friday, May 24. To see the art installations, it is best to take a stroll across the Hoboken waterfront, specifically Pier A Park and the Monroe Center Plaza, at night time. The LED lights shining from the Electric Dandelions against the backdrop of the New York City skyline make for some amazing pictures and a mesmerizing experience.
These Electric Dandelions aren’t the first artistic venture undertaken by the Hoboken Business Alliance. The organization was also responsible for a collection of small stained art houses that popped up around the city. Those stained glass houses were created via a collaboration between the Hoboken Business Alliance and Tom Fruin, a Brooklyn-based artist. The Hoboken-based organization wanted to continue this tradition of outdoor artwork and opted for a mesmerizing display of large light structures lining the waterfront.
The giant sculptures that make up the art display are the work of artist Abram Santa Cruz and Liquid PXL, a Los Angeles-based art collective. The dandelion structures are 28 feet tall and are made of steel and contain LED lights. There are a total of ten dandelions on display throughout the pier. The lights will be off during the day, but will transform into a colorful spectacle of light at night. A goal of the Hoboken Business Alliance in curating this art piece was to “activate the Hoboken waterfront and Sinatra Drive, as well as the area around Hoboken’s key Ninth Street/Congress Street Light Rail Station.” An additional motive, according to the Hoboken Business Alliance, was to foster a greater shared space for the community and “a pleasant environment to enjoy the outdoors as the weather transitions to spring.”
While the Electric Dandelions are new to Hoboken, they aren’t a new concept. Electric Dandelions have been installed all around the world, lighting up the communities around them. Electric Dandelions were previously used in music festivals around the globe, with their first appearance at Burning Man, the long-running festival in Black Rock City, in 2016. These art structures were also used in Illuminate Adelaide in Australia, the Firefly Music Festival in Delaware, and the River of Light Winter Festival in Liverpool. While the installation of these electric flowers in Hoboken isn’t for a music show, the Hoboken Business Alliance hopes that everyone can enjoy the artwork, especially alongside the scenic views of New York City.
The inauguration ceremony for the Electric Dandelions took place on Friday, February 23, at sundown from 5:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. While it was a private event, the public was allowed to witness the Electric Dandelions illuminate the area from that day onwards.
