Creative Art Installations to Explore in Philly
Thousands of people come to Philly every year to see the striking public art in “the City of Murals.” While we are big admirers of the beautiful traditional murals that have adorned the city we call home, painted murals are not the only pieces of public art that Philly has to offer.
As the world of creative and conceptual art has expanded in the past few decades, new and non-traditional art installations have popped up all over the city. Here are a few of the creative art installations that you shouldn’t miss during your next street art tour of Philly:
Contrafuerte
Twenty feet above 1200 Arch Street, you’ll find Miguel Horn's Contrafuerte. The piece, which depicts intertwined bodies propping up a bridge ramp, was commissioned by Philly's Percent for Art program, ensuring that new construction projects include a dedicated public art aspect. Horn constructed the figures using aluminum plates and says it represents both internal and collective struggles.
The Trust Project
The Trust Project combines written word and light to make a unique display of unity for the Fishtown and Kensington communities. Located in Harrowgate Park, the piece depicts a crowd-sourced poem about local life. Visitors can lay back and read the words against the sky or walk in the colorful shadows below to learn more about the surrounding area.
Magical Fantasy
Walk into a world of colorful whimsy when you visit the Magical Fantasy Installation in Navy Yard. The immersive spatial artwork exhibit was created by British artist Morag Myerscough and consists of small, house-like structures with bright and bold colors. Escapism and imagination are core principles of the piece, which will be featured in the Marine Parade Grounds area of the yard through October 2022.
Take it Over Easy
Instead of paint, paper, or stickers, yarn is the material of choice for local artist Nicole Nikolich. Her take Take it Over Easy piece is a 3-D yarn bomb installation with recycled bags used to fill the yolk. Located on Walnut Street, between 22nd and 23rd Streets, the egg is just one of the public art projects Nikolich has recently taken part in. You can also find her yarnbomb of the Liberty Bell at the National Liberty Museum.
These are just a handful of the creative art installations that you can find right here in Philly. To stay up to date with our favorite public artworks, give us a follow on Facebook or Instagram, where we frequently share new art installations and murals that have recently caught our eye. We also recently shared a video providing a behind-the-scenes look at our 2020 fall art installation: A Peaceful Moment.
