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Projects

Between Curtains
Human Rabbits
Money to Read
Divided Street
BUS
Bull's Head
Rape Map
Meeting Bowls
Elevator Encounters
Brick Car
Sleeping Masks
Scattered Orchestra
Flatterers
Visit to Seseña
Cm²/h
Leg of Ham Raffle
Money for Reading
Grope Around
Face-to-Face
Eggs
Good-Looking, Ugly or Plain
Anti-War Action
Milligrams/Liter
Money in Booth
Kiss Invasion
Senior Citizens’ Field Trip
Telemadre
Rondonia
Amazon Virus
Action in a Dumpster
Uterus 2000
Videovan
Christmas Attack

MEETING BOWLS

In Times Square from August 16 to October 12, 2011. New York (USA)

The Meeting Bowls are social places for gathering, getting to know people and fostering dialogue in small groups.

Many stories have appeared in the media regarding the Meeting Bowls, including a humorous commentary by David Letterman on the Late Show. Encounters include: Three German tourists returned every day during their stay to the Meeting Bowls to flirt, and a pastor from Texas on a trip to New York was inspired by the potential of the Meeting Bowls for use as confessionals.

"Make new friends in Times Square Meeting Bowls" The Wall Street Journal. "Times Square will bowl you over" New York Post. "Meeting Bowls bring people together in Times Square" CBS. "New Yorkers now have an exciting way to meet new people while resting their feet in Times Square" The Epoch Times. "Tourist cages installed in Times Square. A new public art installation by the Spanish collective mmmm…" Animal New York

Newsday
The Village Voice
Dave Pinter on psfk.com
Sina.com
The Architect's Newspaper
DNAinfo.com
EFE

Meeting Bowls are large objects shaped like bowls with seating to accommodate eight people. The inviting semi-spherical capsules are installed outdoors in spaces with high pedestrian traffic. They are designed to promote interaction by having those seated inside face one another. These "social" benches are more intimate than typical public benches.

The Meeting Bowls are designed to generate a slight rocking motion as they rebalance when people step into and out of them. The gentle motion generated is intended to be relaxing and fun much like a swing but one for adults. Temporary and playful urban furniture, they encourage friendly dialogue between strangers in a close yet pleasant space.

A Public Art Project supported by the Times Square Alliance, University of Alcalá, Consulate General of Spain in New York, Spain Culture New York and Spanish Ministry of Culture. During the time that the Meeting Bowls were in Times Square the Alliance estimates that approximately 20,000,000 pedestrians saw them and tens of thousands took photographs.