Image courtesy the artist and Times Square Arts. By bringing this monumental digital rainbow to one of New York City’s most populous areas, the artist highlights the visibility of the rainbow, and its role as a powerful symbol in the Queer community. The artist chose this location for Polar Rainbow, allowing the arc to rise above the towers lining Times Square, in response to the fact that rainbows do not exist at certain geographic locations on Earth: specifically, the North and South Poles. The glowing arc spans over Times Square, which is located directly along the 74W meridian spanning populous cities and thoroughfares across the Americas – including New York City’s 7th Avenue. Times Square Arts Director Jean Cooney reflects on the power of this location for the art installation, noting, “Times Square has long been a space of both protest and celebration for LGBTQIA+ rights, and Kristaps Ancāns’ Polar Rainbow brings a timely and uplifting reminder that the ongoing pursuit of justice and equity requires global unity,” Hidden in plain sight, informed guests to Times Square can access Polar Rainbow via an app of the same name, created by the artist in collaboration with Platvorm, a data visualization studio based in Estonia.
