MetroTech Commons in Downtown Brooklyn will soon boast interactive sculptures by Sam Falls, thanks to the Public Art Fund. The exhibition, which will open on July 30, overlapping with the similarly bold adjacent installation by Katharina Grosse, is slated to include five pieces, including a temperature-sensitive bench that changes color according to the body heat of an occupant.

There will also be two sun-soaked, single-person spaces which will change over the course of the day as streams of light move through them. A large wind chime will move both at the will of visitors and as small gusts of wind travel through the plaza. According to a press release from the Public Art Fund, the works seek to transform the way people interact with the downtown Brooklyn office park, while simultaneously calling into question the need for a distinction between works of art and functional objects.

Sam Falls, Untitled (Light Room B) (2014).
Courtesy the artist, Public Art Fund.

Falls, a 30-year-old Los Angeles native, is known for creating work that explores the interaction of color, perception, digital imagery, and natural processes.

“Falls takes on big questions about art, culture, and the environment with a lightness of touch that will leave visitors both delighted and engaged with the world around them,” said Public Art Fund chief curator and director Nicholas Baume, adding that as a place that revolves around “thinking, working, and having fun,” MetroTech is the ideal location for the piece.

“Sam Falls: Light Over Time” will be on display at MetroTech Commons from July 30, 2014–May 29, 2015.