Reflections on Jeppe Hein

One of Jeppe Hein's Modified Social Benches, on view in Brooklyn Bridge Park

In an installation whose name would make every kid visitor to a museum jump for joy, Danish-born, Berlin-based Jeppe Hein has transformed Brooklyn Bridge park into a combination playground and treasure hunt for explorers of all ages. Hein’s Please Touch The Art, produced by the Public Art Fund and on view through April 2016, comprises several sculptures scattered throughout the waterside public parkland, all of which combine a connection to their surroundings with a cheeky wit and an unignorable invitation to interact.

Riffs on park benches in bold colors dot the park and turn a ubiquitous outdoor item into a playground. As the seasons change, they also add uplifting color to a landscape of dark green and brown.

The view from inside Mirror Labyrinth

Perhaps the most interesting, and certainly the most Instagrammable, of Hein’s pieces, is Mirror Labyrinth, a group of tall mirrored slabs arranged in a maze-like formation. Their fence-like shape and interspaced placement toys expertly with perception and beautifully reflects the Manhattan skyline.

My Jeppe Selfie