The World Science Festival brings science to the crossroads of the world, Times Square. From May 31 – June 3, the Festival will descend on Times Square with activities, demonstrations, and installations that educate, entertain, and inspire, providing the public a greater appreciation of our ever-changing planet — and our relationship to it. The programming includes a large LED video wall that powerfully illustrates how global warming is fundamentally changing the earth’s topography; climate talks; and the Sustainable Dance Floor, an innovative dance floor that generates power from human activity. The Sustainable Dance Floor will be open to the public from 7am – 11:59pm. Each day, from 10am – 6pm, guests will be invited to join in for a variety of energy generating games, fitness and dance classes and even a chance to charge their phones through their own movement.
The centerpiece of Science in the Square is Holoscenes, an epic performance-installation that viscerally connects everyday actions to climate change. Born of the widely-shared concern that water — from rising seas, intensifying floods, and extended droughts — will be a defining issue of the 21st century, Holoscenes takes place in a twelve ton glass aquarium which, over the course of five hours each day, periodically floods and drains, requiring a rotating cast of performers to creatively respond to changing levels of water. Holoscenes will be performed from 6pm to 11pm, June 1 – 3.
The Sustainable Dance Floor is developed by Energy Floors.
Holoscenes was created by Lars Jan and Early Morning Opera. It is co-presented by World Science Festival and Times Square Arts, and was originally produced by MAPP International Productions. This presentation of Holoscenes is supported by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.
Climate Talks at Science in the Square featured: Bill Blakemore, Ted Blanco, James Bronzan, Jeremy Deaton, David Doubilet, Sylvia Earle, Eddie Goldstein, Justin Brice Guariglia, Lars Jan, Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Brian Kahn, Josh Landis, Cassie Lee, Anders Levermann, Suzanne Miller, Stephanie Pfirman, Andrew Revkin, Dan Rizza, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Gavin Schmidt, Ellen Stofan, and Ben Straus.
