DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
• A new deli shop has opened in New York City – the only difference being that in this one, all the food on display is made of felt. Delicatessen on 6th, located in the Rockefeller Center on the corner of 6th Avenue and 49th Street, is an interactive public art installation designed by contemporary British artist Lucy Sparrow. All the items in the deli – which range from canned foods to donuts and fresh tomatoes – are available for purchase. It’s not the first time Sparrow has had such an installation in New York – she was behind a bodega in 2017 which proved so popular it sold out. The project, the sixth of its kind by Sparrow, is part of a public art program called Art in Focus. It can be visited until 20th October.
• Not to be outdone, the US city of Philadelphia had its own unusual pop-up last week – a spectral 18th century sailing ship which appeared on the city’s Delware River. Actually an art installation, Ghost Ship – a three dimensional, almost 30 metre long vessel composed of light and water, is the creation of Europe-based artists Biangle Studio. It first appeared sailing on the river in the Penn’s Landing area last Friday and can be seen there on Wednesdays to Sundays until early November. As well as seeing the ship, visitors can also listen to recordings from historians and artists about the river’s history.
• Who is the fattest of them all? Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Reserve is reportedly home to an estimated 2,000 bears who spend every summer fattening up in readiness for their winter hibernation. The park has run a competition on Facebook which saw 12 bears pitted against each other for the title of ‘Fattest’. Members of the public were encouraged to vote for their favourite and then watch as the contenders were, ahem, weighed up against each other with the winner advancing to the next round. After surviving four rounds, on Wednesday this week ‘435 Holly’ won the coveted title of ‘Fattest Bear 2019’. As the park posted on its Facebook page – “Long live the Queen of Corpulence”.
