DNA Totem — Harlem
On view through Friday, September 30
Marcus Garvey Park, Fifth Avenue at 120th Street
This 10-foot-high strand of DNA was created from steel and is adorned with hundreds of castoff household items from the community plus some found by the artist herself. It stands at the 120th Street entrance to Marcus Garvey Park. Created by sculptor Suprina, the statue is meant to reflect a disregard for the planet by humanity. If you like what you see, head across the street to Heath Gallery to view more art from  Suprina as well as other pieces of upcycled art.  

Van Gogh's Ear — Midtown West
On view through Friday, June 3
Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue, between 49th and 50th Streets
Surprise—there's a swimming pool in Rockefeller Center. Unfortunately, you can't cannonball into this one; it's empty and on its side. Still, it stands in its 30-foot-tall glory at the Channel Gardens entrance to Rockefeller Center. It even sports a diving board and ladder. This playful display shows a style of pool popular in the 1950s on the West Coast, making it seem even more out of place in our metropolis.Van Gogh's Ear begs visitors to ask the question, "why?" Which is exactly what the creators set out to do. And the title? Well, they suspect the famous impressionist got that question a lot, too. 

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This Midtown display, Looking Up, reminds New Yorkers to take a moment to look around. Photo by the author.

Looking Up — Midtown East
On view through Friday, July 15
Park Avenue Mall, Park Avenue at East 53rd Street
Tom Friedman's towering humanesque form on East 53rd Street fits right in among Park Avenue's glittering skyscrapers. It reminds me of a tourist gawking at tall buildings, but it should remind all of us to look up in awe every now and then. My son thought this 33-foot man looked like he was built from crumpled tin foil. He was almost right: It's created from disposable aluminum roasting and baking pans–you can still see some of the ridges from the pan on the statue.  

The outsize Two Orchids beckon visitors to Central Park. Photo by Jason Wyche/courtesy Public Art Fund, NY.

Two Orchids — Upper East Side 
On view through Sunday, August 21
Doris C. Freedman Plaza, Central Park, Fifth Avenue at 60th Street
This pair of pristine blossoms welcomes visitors to Manhattan's most celebrated green space. Oversized and perfect at 28 and 34 feet tall, they were created by German artist Isa Genzken and are meant to illustrate how these plants have become harbingers for contemporary culture. No longer a rare bloom, perfect orchids can be purchased in the grocery store.   

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Kids will love gawking at these gigantic post-Easter balloon bunnies set up in Brookfield Plaza. Photo by Mommy Poppins.

Intrude — Battery Park City
Sunday, April 17 to Saturday, April 30 
Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey Street
How cool is this? Seven massive, illuminated, bunny sculptures just went on display at Brookfield Plaza. The exhibit Intrude, by Australian artist Amanda Parer, helps to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Brookfield's reopening. Kids won't care why these larger-than-life hares are here, but they will enjoy getting an up-close view of them. The exhibit will be touring the United States, stopping also in Denver, Los Angeles and Houston, but two of the rabbits were commissioned by Brookfield and haven't been seen before. Three of the rabbits will take over the building's soaring atrium and the rest will be inflated outdoors on Waterfront Plaza in good weather. Try to see them at dusk when they should look otherworldly, but hurry they are only on view through April 30. 

Understanding — Brooklyn Heights
Wednesday, May 4 to Sunday, October 23
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 6
The simple message in Brooklyn Bridge Park's art exhibit this year should get families thinking. "Understanding" is the focus of this site-specific design by British artist Martin Creed. At 25-feet high with "Understanding" spelled out in red, neon letters, it's visible from Brooklyn Bridge, the East River and Lower Manhattan. The word will spin using a computer program of Creed's own design and stand out from the skyline or blend in with the cityscape, depending on your view. This is the first of Creed's massive word pieces to be displayed in NYC; you can see a retrospective of his offbeat art at the Park Avenue Armory this summer.

Big Bling — Flatiron District
Monday, May 16 to Sunday, January 8, 2017
Madison Square Park, East 23rd Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues
American sculptor Martin Puryear takes over Madison Square Park with Big Bling. The wooden structure measures 40-feet tall and 10-feet deep and is the largest temporary sculpture he has ever made. It will be wrapped in a fine chain link topped with a gold shackle. Organizers describe it as "part animal form, part abstract sculpture, and part intellectual mediation." 

Top image: These massive bunnies are on display at Brookfield Place but only through the end of April. Photo by Mommy Poppins.