Times Square Arts has announced Reddymade as the winner of its 2019 Times Square Valentine Heart Design competition. This year's winning design, 'X,' will be unveiled on February 1, 2019 at Father Duffy Square, between 46th and 47th Streets. The installation will remain on view for the month of February.
Reddymade's 'X' evokes many expressions of interpersonal and civic love, including the written symbol for a kiss, a representation of intersecting forms, and the mark of a democratic vote. Here, 'X' explores how love within communities can manifest through connecting diversity and equality. Much like the convergence of lines in an X, people from all backgrounds cross paths in Times Square, and Reddymade's design offers a purposeful moment for further exchange and connection.
"I founded Reddymade as a diverse architecture and design practice, with a human-centric approach," said Suchi Reddy, Founder of Reddymade. "In a time of rising xenophobia and division in communities, I was inspired by the thoughtful brief to make an installation that is not only beautiful, but is relevant to its context and communicates a message. Exploring the idea of community as a place of intersection led me to the tectonic expression of 'X,' which fit the context of Times Square, one of the most thriving intersections in the world of people, place and culture."
'X' takes its form with two intersecting aluminum planes, creating a passageway through and meeting place beneath the 18-foot-tall structure - the largest and tallest winning design ever selected for this competition. Rounded openings at the crossing of the planes combine to form heart shapes when viewed from different angles.
Images: Courtesy of Reddymade