Thousands of birds will illuminate the Brooklyn Navy Yard through unprecedented twilight performances. Creative Time and the Brooklyn Navy Yard will be presenting Fly By Night, artist Duke Riley’s largest project to date. Beginning in May, a massive flock of pigeons will fly in elegant harmony above the East River as Riley orchestrates a series of performances occurring regularly throughout late spring. At the call of a whistle, thousands of birds will emerge from their home in a converted ship docked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a historic site now home to a vast creative community including numerous artist studios. The birds will circle above the river as the sun sets over Manhattan. Small leg bands, historically used to carry messages, will be replaced with tiny LED lights, illuminating the sky in a transcendent union of public art and nature. Fly By Night is free and open to the public, but space must be reserved in advance. Spaces can be reserved at creativetime.org.

Duke Riley remarks, “The first time I flew birds, I looked up and forgot the rest of the
world’s noise. Pigeon keeping is like a religion, and those who enter into this relationship find more peace in their birds than anything else. My hope is for the audience to look up at these beautiful creatures and experience that same rapture, a freedom like no other.”

Fly By Night pays homage to pigeon keeping, both in New York and farther afield. Pigeons have been domesticated for thousands of years and kept by people around the world for companionship, sport, and service. Locally, each neighborhood in New York once had a community of pigeon keepers (or fanciers, as they are commonly known); a dense network of rooftop pigeon lofts stretched across the five boroughs. While property development and population shifts have caused the practice to wane, Fly By Night reflects back on and makes visible this largely forgotten history.

“We are thrilled to partner with Creative Time to bring Fly By Night to the Yard,” says David Ehrenberg, President and CEO of the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation. “This free public arts programming will provide an amazing opportunity to open our doors to the local community for a spectacular arts event, and to allow the public to get a first-hand look at our growing community of artists, manufacturing, innovation, and creative companies.”

Meredith Johnson, Creative Time curator, states, “Weaving together old New York and new, Fly By Night asks us to stop, watch, listen, and revere this extraordinary creature that has shared the triumphs and tragedies of the human experience—uniting individuals, cultures, and generations of fanciers in a tale of both the ancient and modern city.”

Fly By Night will raise awareness not only of the Yard’s rich naval history but also its diverse artistic community of painters, photographers, sculptors, ceramists, installation artists, muralists, fine furniture makers, designers and visual artists. The Yard will also serve as a hub for ancillary educational programming and events presented by Creative Time.

For more about the Artist, Duke Riley click HERE.  Are you a ‪Fort Greene‬ or ‪Clinton Hill‬ Resident and interested in Tickets to‪ ‎Fly By Night‬? Please e-mail Suhaly at SuhalyBC@creativetime.org for local resident tickets.

Lead project support for Fly By Night is generously provided by Philip E. and Shelley Fox Aarons, Ellen and Bill Taubman, Kate Engelbrecht and Jed Walentas, and the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation. Major Creative Time programming support for 2016 has been provided by the Ford Foundation, Lambent Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts.