FRIENDS FROM THE CANAL Installation By Mookntaka Now On View In Gowanus

Van Alen Institute has announced Friends from the Canal by artist duo Mookntaka, on view through late August 2026. The multi-site installation, made possible through funding from the New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS), consists of three inflatable, illuminated, character-driven sculptures that serve as a friendly welcome to Gowanus. This is Mookntaka's first long-term installation and the first time incorporating lighting.

Friends from the Canal responds to the neighborhood's state of flux. Amidst new development and environmental remediation, the installation imagines gentle creatures emerging from the Gowanus Canal to investigate the commotion and meet their neighbors. These three "cheerful mutants," known as Loofa, Shelby, and Pebbles, have unique silhouettes inspired by the canal's aquatic fauna.

Placed outside at three locations in Gowanus — Cafe Mars, Union Channel, and Wyckoff Gardens — these characters create play in unexpected places and invite people to break their usual routine. During the day, the sculptures are colorful, welcoming creatures, and at night, they provide a soft, radiating light.

Play is a universal experience and an early way people learn how to communicate with others. Friends from the Canal helps people to reconnect to that part of themselves and with others in shared space. Within a world full of structures and rules, the sculptures serve as a reminder that not everything needs to make sense or be serious. They give permission to be silly.

To encourage more exploration of Gowanus, Friends from the Canal is accompanied by a scavenger hunt of local cafes, shops, and restaurants. Participants can visit each local business on the map to collect a unique sticker designed by Mookntaka; when they collect all 18 stickers, they can redeem prizes from local businesses. Maps with scavenger hunt locations and instructions can be found at Van Alen Institute and From Here to Sunday, a local gallery and gift shop located at 567 Union Street.

Enhancing the scavenger hunt, local artist HiBye has created ceramic tiles that resemble the Friends. Dubbed the "Mookntiles," they are installed at 16 unlisted locations around Gowanus, encouraging more unexpected discovery as participants move around the neighborhood.

Mookntaka was selected through an open call held in Fall 2025, and chosen by a selection committee of local residents and community leaders in collaboration with Van Alen Institute.

"This project has been a fun challenge, learning new ways we work with inflatables and the opportunity to collaborate with so many people," said Mookntaka. "We hope our Friends give people the chance to explore their own neighborhood with fresh eyes and remind them that play can exist in the most unexpected places."

"As Gowanus transforms, art and design are powerful tools to ensure the public realm is welcoming for all, including longtime residents and newer arrivals," said Hayley Eber, Executive Director, Van Alen Institute. "Mookntaka's Friends from the Canal brings a sense of play to our sidewalks and shared spaces, and I hope these works encourage exploration of this historically creative neighborhood Van Alen is proud to call home. We are deeply grateful to our local selection committee and supporters at the city and state level for making this project possible."

"Mookntaka are beloved community members who've been such an asset to the Gowanus art scene over the years," said Johnny Thornton, Executive Director, Arts Gowanus and member of the selection committee. "Our goal at Arts Gowanus is always to keep local artists working in the neighborhood so we're thrilled that this project by Mookntaka will showcase, in such a visible way, the immense creativity that exists in Gowanus. It was such an honor to be on the selection committee for this project, and as always, a pleasure to work with Van Alen!"

"Friends from the Canal is designed to bring New Yorkers together while celebrating Gowanus's rich history and culture," said SBS Commissioner Kenny Minaya. "Through our Public Realm Grants, we're investing in brighter, more vibrant commercial corridors that make New York City more livable for all. We're proud to support Van Alen Institute with this investment, which demonstrates how thoughtful public realm activations can spread joy, increase foot traffic, and strengthen neighborhood connections."

“Great public art invites the viewer to explore, to be surprised, and to wonder,” said Erika Mallin, Executive Director, New York State Council on the Arts. “This installation sends a powerful message: you are welcome here. NYSCA is proud to support the work of Van Alen Institute and congratulates them and Mookntaka on this engaging project.”

"NYCHA is proud to partner with Van Alen Institute to bring this imaginative work directly to Wyckoff Gardens residents," said NYCHA Chief Executive Officer Lisa Bova-Hiatt. "These colorful, illuminated sculptures do more than just decorate; they brighten the development and provide a welcoming space for people of all ages to gather and connect. We are delighted that residents can experience the joy of Friends from the Canal right outside their doors."

"We are so honored and excited for our unusual Italian restaurant to be allowed to host one of Mookntaka's gorgeous and unusual creatures," shared the Cafe Mars team.

(Added the Friends: "Hello, humans and animals of NYC! Thanks for welcoming us above the Gowanus Canal… we promise we don't smell!")

Friends from the Canal is part of Mookntaka's ongoing Friends and Follies series. In this series, character-driven, handcrafted sculptures are welcoming creatures while nodding to the architectural meaning of folly — a structure meant to exist solely to be beautiful. They are formed by simple geometric shapes, which often obscures the original reference materials. Mookntaka purposely leaves their characters open-ended, allowing the public to create their own interpretations of each one's personality.

Friends from the Canal is produced by Van Alen Institute and made possible by a Public Realm Grant for Commercial District Lighting awarded through the NYC Department of Small Business Services; public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Fabrication of sculpture bases and installation was done by New Project; engineering support was provided by TYLin; lighting design support was provided by Sighte Studio; and electrical engineering support was provided by Buro Happold.

LOCATIONS

Cafe Mars, 272 3rd Ave (at President St), Brooklyn
Union Channel at Gowanus Wharf, 240 3rd Ave (at Union St), Brooklyn
Wyckoff Gardens, 187 Nevins St (at Warren St), Brooklyn

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

Gowanus Community Day Festival
Saturday, April 25, 12–4 pm (rain date: April 26)
Thomas Greene Park, 3rd Ave and Degraw St

Friends from the Canal joins the annual Gowanus Community Festival at Thomas Greene Playground. Meet Mookntaka, learn about the Friends, and participate in family-friendly activities such as live music and face painting. Free and open to the public.

Powerhouse Arts Community Day
Saturday, May 16, 11 am–5 pm
Powerhouse Arts, 322 3rd Ave

Mookntaka's Friends and Follies make an appearance at Powerhouse Arts Community Day. Meet the inflatable Friends, learn more about the process of making Friends from the Canal, and join the project's scavenger hunt. Free with RSVP.

Visit vanalen.org/events for future program announcements.