By West Side Rag
The iconic orange gates installation that artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude erected in Central Park in 2005 have returned to the green space, but not in the way you might guess.
Central Park visitors can experience “The Gates” once more through an augmented reality experience seen through an app downloaded on their mobile phones. The experience kicked off last week and will be available through March 23.
To access the virtual installation, visitors first need to download the Bloomberg Connects app on their mobile phones. Using the app, you scan QR codes throughout the park. The codes will make the gates appear on your mobile device; then, by stepping in front of your phone’s camera, it will appear like you are standing beneath the gates.
The original public art installation went up in Central Park for 16 days, February 12-28, 2005. More than 7,500 of the structures were put up throughout the park, attracting four million visitors to see the artwork.
The virtual experience “offers visitors an unprecedented opportunity to explore the couple’s artistic journey, rekindling memories for those who witnessed The Gates and unveiling hidden stories for new audiences,” reads a page dedicated to the new augmented reality experience.
Let us know what memories you have of the gates installation in the comment section.
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Some friends and I were The Gates in the Halloween parade that year. I remember fondly walking to work under the gates, surrounded by snow off the paths.
There was so much hostility to The Gates before it opened. But when it finally did, it was magical. I remember the sense of community that seemed to waft through the park, just like the orange “flags.” The volunteers were everywhere, and so pleased to be part of it. I still have the little piece of orange fabric they handed out.
We visited on a cold, clear afternoon with friends and four school-age kids, who ran and leaped at the flags and laughed as we strolled down the paths. Looking at the photos I took brings back memories of an absolutely wonderful day.
I’d thought the installation was extraordinarily self-indulgent and not appropriate… Then I walked through it and found it to be magical — complementing nature and bringing joy to the community,
It only made central park look like a giant construction zone. Amazed what qualifies as “art” these days…
I genuinely ad completely did not understand why peole were so obsessed with the gates. My friend and I went and I thought I crazy because I just didn’t get it. Luckily she didn’t get it ejther
I still have my instamatic photos from the Gates It was a beautiful installation.
Sorry, totally disgusting. Looks horrible. No class bring our City down.
Amazing technology!
I remember the gates and I remember them cutting up the curtains and giving out samples to visitors of Central Park when they came down of which I still have.
The gates were my pet dog “Jake” favorite place to do his business.
I roller-bladed the entire drive, experiencing the gates as I skated past. It was really impressive; the gates felt quite organic.
I walked through and experienced the original installation, and found it to be an insult to the natural beauty of the miracle that is Central Park.
Having been an UWSer most all of my life, I loved The Gates when the the exhibition took place but now that its been 20 years they should reinstall 10 or 20 of them grouped together somewhere in the park as a permanent art installation so we can always enjoy a little taste of how fabulous they were!!!
My Aunt Nancy, a contemprary art enthusiast and docent at the Denver Art Museum, came from Colorado to see The Gates.
I had a long bright orange down coat that year (from the Victoria’s Secret catalogn strangely enough!) and Aunt Nan told me I looked like a walking gate. And I was.
hah! I also had an orange coat that year by coincidence and felt like a walking gate!
The Gates were awful, an intrusion on what little we have of the natural world already here in NY. Of course they had to be orange, to suck the life out of everything around them. Pretentious BS
I remember The Gates so well – now feeling very old as I realize it was 20 years ago! How did that happen …
I was initially hostile, this is OUR PARK, I thought, we don’t need you to make it special. Then I went over there and it was wonderful, I thought. I too still have one of those small orange squares. I’m glad I kept an open mind and went over to try it out.
Good for you, it was wonderful the few weeks that they were up. Andy Warhol would’ve loved it. 👍
Initially resistant, I was won over. They were wonderful.
At first I didn’t understand, why would anyone put up these gates and material . Once I and a friend walked through the park I understood. I was able to get a poster off a city bus and had it framed , still have it. Twenty years WOW.
I was going through a phase of trying to improve my vision by not wearing my eyeglasses (didn’t work!) when The Gates opened. I walked from my apartment to the park and my first thought as the gates appeared was, “Why are there so many road construction signs?” I know they called the color “saffron,” but it looked exactly like road-sign orange to me!