Times Square Arts Announces Programming for Raúl Cordero's Immersive Installation THE POEM 

Times Square Arts, the largest public platform for contemporary performance and visual arts, is pleased to present THE POEM, an immersive public art installation by Cuban artist Raúl Cordero, on view April 8 - May 4, 2022.

THE POEM intends to provide a unique and transformative experience in which visitors can momentarily transcend the bustling activity of Times Square and the district's monumental scale and energy. In the heart of an attention economy, Cordero plays with the architecture of Times Square to offer us a gift of poetry and art.

THE POEM is a large-scale sculptural tower that features an illuminated text interior juxtaposed by a landscaped exterior of cascading mountain laurel foliage. The unveiling will take place April 8th at 2pm in Duffy Square, Times Square's most iconic plaza. The afternoon will feature remarks from Cordero and a performance by the Peace of Heart Choir to officially welcome the public to the installation.

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, April 21, 6-7pm
PEN America's Artists at Risk Connection (ARC) and PEN International will host readings from poets Jamie Manrique, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Eloisa Amezcua, and Maya Popa, closing with a vigil in solidarity and support for artists targeted by political persecution in Cuba.

Friday April 22, 6-7:30pm
This night will feature a series of performances hosted by poet and sound artist LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs. Diggs is the author of TwERK (Belladonna, 2013) and has performed at California Institute of the Arts, El Museo del Barrio, The Museum of Modern Art, and Walker Art Center. The night includes readings from Peggy Robles-Alvarado, Christina Olivares, Moncho Alvarado and a performance from celebrated singer and producer keiyaA.

Thursday, April 28, 6-7pm
An evening hosted by poet and Art Critic at The Nation, Barry Schwabsky. A poem composed by the writer is featured along the walls of the interior of THE POEM. In addition to Schwabsky, the night will feature readings from poets Monica de la Torre, John Yau, and Erica Hunt.

Friday April 29th, 6-7pm
The lineup of programming concludes with an event emceed by former Queens Borough Poet Laureate Paolo Javier, to be broadcast live by Montez Press Radio (Thomas Laprade and Stacy Skolnik). The night will feature performances by poet/curator Paolo Javier and electronic artist Listening Center (aka David Mason), comedic performer Morgan Bassichis, and writer and artist Miatta Kawinzi.

Programming at THE POEM runs alongside Raúl Cordero's first New York solo exhibition in almost fifteen years at RICHARD TAITTINGER GALLERY, located at 154 Ludlow Street, New York, NY. The solo exhibition HEAVEN IS A PLACE IN THE MIND, features a collection of 24 works, including 17 paintings, 2 installations and 4 NFTs. It will be on view through April 24, 2022.

THE POEM is commissioned by Times Square Arts with generous support from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and in part through support from Morgan Stanley, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Times Square Arts, the public art program of the Times Square Alliance, collaborates with contemporary artists and cultural institutions to experiment and engage with one of the world's most iconic urban places. Through the Square's electronic billboards, public plazas, vacant areas and popular venues, and the Alliance's own online landscape, Times Square Arts invites leading contemporary creators, such as Mel Chin, Tracey Emin, Jeffrey Gibson, Ryan McGinley, Yoko Ono, and Kehinde Wiley, to help the public see Times Square in new ways. Times Square has always been a place of risk, innovation and creativity, and the Arts Program ensures these qualities remain central to the district's unique identity.

Known for his large format blurry paintings with dotted texts and his endless investigation into the structure and language of an artwork, Raúl Cordero (Havana, 1971) has successfully merged figurative painting and text-based conceptual art throughout his career. Exhibiting in museums and galleries around the world, while establishing a very personal universe that explores the visual manifestation of language and investigates the cognitive links between "looking at" and "reading" art.

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