Chelsea Market Puzzle Art Installation

As a national graphic installation company, our team at Bullseye NYC has come across a wide range of projects. Typical van wraps and retail window installations. Astounding displays such as art exhibitions. Detailing transforming an abandoned church to an upscale restaurant. We’ve done it all. 

Our projects challenge us to push the envelope of creativity and leverage our experience to achieve your goal. This approach is what allows us to build such valuable relationships with our clients and find the same passion in their projects as they do.

In a way, what we do is an art form. Our clients are the brilliant minds behind the act, as they make it all fit together.

Project Overview: A Dramatic Art Installation in Chelsea Market

A dear friend of the Bullseye NYC team, artist Tim Kelly wanted to create a dramatic art installation in Chelsea Market to show that the strength in our collective comes from individuality. Through unique puzzle pieces of art, he embraced individual expression as a single body of art. 

Tim is a born artist. He attended the WVU School of Creative Arts for fine art and advertising. Soon after, he moved to NYC to showcase his work. For years, he’s been growing his Puzzle Piece passion project. In fact, several installations of this project are currently being created and displayed across the country. You’ll even find them around the world.

As Tim puts it, “The Puzzle Art Installation & Collaborative Project is a growing and traveling group art exhibition. You don't have to be an artist to participate, you just [need] to have something to say.”

About the Puzzle Art Project

At the core of Tim’s project is a 2 feet by 2 feet puzzle piece. He distributed these pieces at art fairs, schools, and other events to anyone who showed interest in expressing themselves, no matter the format: painting, drawing, multimedia, etc.

In the end, these pieces were collected and interlocked to create one large piece of art. (Learn more about Tim Kelly’s puzzle art here).

Contrary to what you might believe, art installations are usually quite straightforward. However, the material used in these types of projects is what sets it apart from others. In this case, the individual pieces were created using cardboard cut by hand, so Tim came to the Bullseye NYC team in search of an easier way to bring his vision to life. 

Our team dye-cut these pieces out of 3/16ths foam core material, creating a full picture that fit perfectly together. 

We chose 3/16ths because it was the perfect weight for Tim’s needs. For instance, a 1/8th foam core would have been too flimsy. Since humidity can warp the material, we needed something more sturdy but still light enough to install. 

Selecting this material allowed us to stamp almost one thousand puzzle pieces a day for a low cost. With big installations and different locations, we also needed the puzzle pieces to be assembled easily. 

Due to the light weight, a massive wall of puzzle pieces could be easily made and lifted by just three people. Another great benefit to the foam core is that it can be installed anywhere without damage. 

Bullseye NYC was able to create temporary installations using painter’s tape and double-sided tape. This process protects  the walls of any location, which is a huge selling point. As a result, places such as museums were more willing to take part in the puzzle piece project.

What is Installation Art?

Installation art is a modern movement in the art world - one characterized by larger-than-life works of art. The Puzzle Art Project was created to transform its installation location into an interactive environment. Spectators walk through the entire space to engage with the piece and all its pieces.

According to Tate.org, “What makes installation art different from sculpture or other traditional art forms is that it is a complete unified experience, rather than a display of separate, individual artworks.” For this reason, the installation phase of the project was a critical element to the core purpose of its message.

Bullseye had the opportunity to work in a very renowned location: Chelsea Market. The end result was nearly 50 feet high at the Artists & Fleas Indie Art Market (Tenth Avenue & 15th Street). 

This was a memorable project because we received several inquiries for our work from shops and event planners who were featured in the Art Market at the time of our installation. 

This space in New York came with unique challenges, such as narrow corners, cramped platforms, and notable heights. Our team of professionals creatively navigated these challenges by securing our installation equipment to permanent fixtures on nearby walls. This kept everyone safe while successfully assembling the puzzle art. 

Bullseye NYC is proud to be an ongoing partner in this art project. Despite these unprecedented times, our strength is in our connection. We may all be different, but we’re all creative – and we can all create art together.

After all, it’s always the small pieces that make the big picture.

Looking to Start a Project?

When you partner with Bullseye NYC for your project, we encourage you to go wild with your imagination. Whether you’re looking to complete a compelling art project, create a unique environment, or simply get some custom branding and graphics for your retail location or vehicle, we’re the team for you.

If you are interested in completing a project with us, contact us to get started.