GIPHY Presents NEW WINDOW: An Immersive NYC Experience by Sam Cannon

Officially launching 12/20, GIPHY is proud to announce the launch of NEW WINDOW — a unique and immersive take on the typical New York City “holiday window” featuring new work from artist Sam Cannon. Part looping art installation, part window display, NEW WINDOW is the next chapter of GIPHY’s ongoing “Be Animated” brand campaign; an ongoing mission to bring animation and self-expression to unexpected places.

At the start of 2021, “Be Animated” took shape as animated CTV commercials, exploring self-expression through surreal lenses like blooming flowers, dancing dinosaurs, and everything in between. In the fall it was Frame by Frame, the first animated book of GIF art where kinetic formats like lenticular holograms and stickers brought motion to the printed page in surprising ways.

The latest exhibition of GIPHY’s “Be Animated” ethos, NEW WINDOW, features Sam Cannon’s exploration of human emotion, empathy, and how it feels to lose control via a new looping film and site-specific installation housed in an empty storefront in New York’s Lower East Side. Viewing takes place from the sidewalks, making it a COVID safe, outdoor experience.

The experience uses specialized screens that render video invisible to the naked eye, but when viewed through suspended “windows” the film and a “visible whirlwind of emotion” are revealed.

Sam Cannon is an artist and director based in NYC & LA. Occupying a space at the cross-section of photography, video, experiential and performance, Cannon has produced projection installations, live performances, large-scale prints, and sculptures.

“NEW WINDOW is inspired by a collective loss of control and how we face the unknown,” says Cannon, who filmed individuals strapped into a fly harness as they careen through wind and rain. “Their expressions shift constantly as they spin — at times they are scared and at others they are joyous. Their animated faces and bodies are a reminder of the violent ups and downs, moments of loss and of beauty we have all experienced in the last two years. There is a loss of control, but there is also wonder in the moments of surrender.”

NEW WINDOW will be open to the public and viewable 24 hours a day, though like any holiday window, it looks best at night. So pick an evening over the holidays to spend some time in front of NEW WINDOW, capture it, share it, and make sure to tag @GIPHY and @samcannon. Follow GIPHY on Instagram and Twitter for more information and updates.

GIPHY Presents NEW WINDOW
A looping installation from Sam Cannon
2 Rivington St. @ Bowery. New York City.
Dec. 20th thru Jan. 14th

Be Animated.