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A pink man looks at a bar at the Vermillion Club in Boston
Annielly Camargo / Downtown Boston Alliance
Giant inflatable pink men take over downtown Boston. Last week, residents discovered several cartoonish blow-up figures around the city.
One climbs a tree. Another waves from a roof. One pink man appears to be stuck between two buildings, while the other peeks through a large window.
They are all part of an immersive outdoor art exhibition called “Winter active,” which is “inspired by the vibrant winter festivals and art exhibitions of our neighbors in the province of Québec, Canada,” according to the show’s website. It will be on display until the end of March.
A pink man climbing a tree in Boston’s Post Office Square Annielly Camargo / Downtown Boston Alliance
The sculptures are part of a series called Mr Rose (or Mr. Pink). The project was developed by Philippe Katerine, a French artist, actor and singer.
Made of steel cable, PVC and fans, the sculptures stem from an artistic movement known as Mignonism, which Katerine founded to promote the aesthetic of cuteness.
“It’s the darkest and dullest time of year in Boston,” said Michael Nichols, president of the Downtown Boston Alliance, which organizes Winteractive. CBS BostonIt’s Neal Riley. ‘It’s grey… just cold and bitter. And pops of pink, bubblegum pink speckling downtown… changes people’s day.”
Mr Rose has appeared Paris, Stockholm, Montreal And Quebec City. Now the pink men have headed to Boston for ‘Winteractive’, along with several other works of art.
Officials are still installing many, with a total of 15 units planned per WCVB TV‘s Phil Tenser. But at least one other work has already been unveiled: by Canadian artist Brandon Vickerd, Alouette contains a replica of a 1962 Canadian satellite that appears to have crashed on the hood of a car, reports WHDHby Stephen Quinn.
“It partly seems like a throwback to the age of space exploration when technology held the great promise of… a modernist future where everything would get better, but in many ways it exists as a modern Icarus,” Vickerd tells WHDH. “That idea of hubris and flying too close to the sun and then falling back to Earth, but it’s also a bit of a joke, right?”
This is the second year of ‘Winteractive’. The most exciting piece revealed for last year’s performance consisted of two large inflatable clown heads wedged between two buildings. Called Endgame (Nagg & Nell), the installation has been made by artist Max Streicher.
One of the pink men waves to passersby below Annielly Camargo / Downtown Boston Alliance
Other works scattered through the streets of Boston in 2024 included Myth and evidencea unicorn sculpture enclosed in a frosted glass display by artist Mathieu Valade; a colorful mural called Wonderful meeting painted by Kezna Dalz; and a series of untitled figures created by Mark Jenkins, including a figure that appeared to be fishing from the top of Macy’s.
The exhibition was such a success that officials decided to bring it back this year, with another series of standout pieces.
“I’m really excited to see this downtown,” said AJ Longabaugh, an employee at a gym near one of the Mr. Pink numbers, to Boston sphere‘s Marianna Orozco. “It allows people to look up.”
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