In the heart of Union Square Park, a vibrant sculptural line stretches nearly 25 feet - playful, curious, and impossible to ignore. But step into just the right vantage point, and that abstract squiggle reveals a powerful word: love.
Love Continuum, the public art installation, is the work of multimedia artist Yoni Alter. Known for his bold use of color, scale, and typography, Alter transforms a single continuous line into a three-dimensional experience that invites both interaction and reflection.
“Experimentation is central to my practice. I’m always interested in discovering new possibilities through materials.” Alter explains. “At one point, I began squeezing paint directly from the tube onto the canvas, creating a thick, continuous line. That unbroken line led me to experiment with cursive typography, drawn physically with paint rather than written with ink.” he says. “From there, I wanted to free the line from the flat surface and expand it into space.”
“Instead of being attached to a canvas, it could become a three-dimensional form you can walk around and experience physically. That shift from painting to sculpture became the foundation for Love Continuum. When the shape came together, the color felt inherent to it. It sits between pink and orange, warm and vibrant. In photographs it often reads as red, but in person it has a softer, more nuanced presence.”
“First curiosity, then interaction, then meaning.”
Why the word love?
“‘Love’ was the first word that came to me. I started experimenting with writing in space.” he shares. “I didn’t overthink it. It felt bold, direct, and impossible to ignore. If you’re going to carve a word into space and turn it into a physical presence, it might as well be the biggest one. I’ve returned to the word many times over the years in different typographic works. It’s universal, overused, misunderstood, commercialized, and still incredibly powerful. That tension interests me. When “love” becomes a large sculptural form, it shifts from something sentimental into something physical and undeniable. It occupies space the way the idea itself does."
Designed specifically for a high-traffic public space like the Union Square park, the piece invites layered discovery. From a distance, it appears as a strange, wriggly line. Up close, it becomes tactile and interactive.
“I knew it had to be large enough to read first as a strange, inviting, wriggly line, something playful that makes you want to walk toward it, touch it, climb on it, sit on it. Only after that first physical reaction do you realize it also carries a word and a message,” Alter says. “I love that sequence. First curiosity, then interaction, then meaning.”
He often stays nearby to observe reactions. “I love seeing the confusion on people’s faces slowly turn into a smile.” Watching children run toward the sculpture is especially meaningful. “That immediate, instinctive response is exactly what I hope for in public space.”
An alternate version of Love Continuum was also on view at 860 Broadway, once home to Andy Warhol’s Factory. The connection is not lost on Alter.
“It feels like a powerful coincidence. Warhol changed the way we see art and culture,” he says. “He was bold, unapologetic, and unafraid to make work that was both popular and profound.” Exhibiting in a space tied to that legacy feels energizing. “Showing in a space connected to his legacy is energizing. He made art that shifted the world, and that’s the level of impact I aim for too.”
In a city constantly in motion, Love Continuum asks New Yorkers to pause, reposition themselves, and quite literally see love differently.
