The public art display “I Love You” will be unveiled March 25 in Waterfront Park.
The temporary installation at Waterfront Park is designed by Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt of R&R STUDIOS in Miami and will be on display through the end of November.
“‘I Love You’ provides physical evidence of the possibility of the fantastic as part of everyday life,” according to R&R STUDIOS. “It is an instant landmark that brings people together with a simultaneously universal and personal message.”
The centerpiece of the installation are the words “I Love You” illuminated in pink neon lights. The 15-foot-high scripted letters will sit above a hand-painted pink and white ground mural simulating a carpet. The intent is to define the space as a room open to everyone.
“The unexpected and luminous social space will invite visitors to get lost for a few moments in this fictional realm,” said the city in a press release.
The husband and wife team of Behar and Marquardt were commissioned to create an original installation for the location with a focus on the community-building role of public art.
According to the city, “I Love You” captures the public’s imagination in a celebration of friendship and camaraderie in the heart of Alexandria.
R&R STUDIOS was selected to create the site-specific artwork by a community task force with approval from the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. The award-winning firm is known for creating public social sculptures around the world, including All together Now in downtown Denver, the biggest M in the world in Miami, The Living Room, their iconic Miami home turned inside out, Public Squares in Mexico City and Copenhagen and Besame Mucho at Coachella Music and Arts Festival.
The “Site See: New Views in Old Town” temporary public art series highlights Waterfront Park as a civic space. This installation follows Mark Reigelman’s 2021 “Groundswell,” Olalekan Jeyifous’ 2020 “Wrought, Knit, Labors, Legacies,” and SOFTlab’s 2019 “Mirror Mirror.”
Installation of “I Love You”will begin March 9. The city will also work with regional artists for public space activations that respond to “I Love You” later this year. Once installed, the attraction will be accessible from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Visit alexandriava.gov/PublicArt for more information about the “I Love You” public art installation and the Site See public art series.