A Microscopic Art Installation at our Spring Gala

+Untitled+
June 8, 2026

For the 2026 + POOL Gala, artist Danielle Parsons presents +Untitled+, an immersive video installation that reveals the extraordinary microscopic life inhabiting New York Harbor and the East River. Created through a combination of scientific imaging, custom-fabricated microscope slides, and large-scale projection, the work invites viewers into a world that is typically invisible to the human eye. Projected across the gala space at monumental scale, the installation transforms microorganisms, plankton, algae, and other aquatic life into vibrant moving landscapes, offering a rare glimpse into the ecosystems that exist beneath the surface of the city’s waterways.

The project emerged from Parsons’ fascination with the living systems that will surround the future + POOL and her desire to create a direct connection between New Yorkers and the unseen communities that support the health of our waterways. To create the work, Parsons collected microscopic organisms from the East River and New York Harbor using specialized plankton nets before observing and filming them under an Olympus BX-51 compound microscope. She collaborated with engineers and fabricators to create custom microscope slides featuring miniature plus-shaped environments inspired by + POOL’s iconic design, allowing organisms to move through and interact with the symbol at scales measured in microns.

Using techniques including darkfield microscopy, polarized light, and custom optical effects, Parsons transforms scientific observation into an aesthetic experience that is both educational and deeply immersive. The resulting imagery highlights the beauty, complexity, and vitality of organisms that play essential roles in nutrient cycling, oxygen production, water quality, and the broader ecological health of the harbor. Rather than focusing on environmental decline, the work begins with what is already alive, encouraging viewers to see the East River as an active habitat and living community rather than simply a body of water flowing through the city.

At its core, +Untitled+ reflects a shared philosophy between the artist and + POOL: that wonder can inspire stewardship. By making the invisible visible, Parsons invites audiences to reconsider their relationship with New York’s waterways and to recognize the countless forms of life that make a healthy river ecosystem possible. The installation serves as both a celebration of scientific discovery and a reminder that the future of our waterways depends not only on engineering and infrastructure, but also on the thriving microscopic communities that sustain them every day.

Learn more about Danielle Parsons’ creative process, scientific techniques, and the inspiration behind +Untitled+ by reading the full interview here.

Commissioned by Friends of + POOL, Inc.

Collaborators & Contributors

Artist: Danielle Parsons
Art Projection Technician: Rob Racine
Microscope Slides: Goodfellow Advanced Materials (Microfabricated custom microscope slides featuring miniature + POOL forms)
Signs + Shapes: Stencil Ease (Custom laser-cut Mylar plus signs and + POOL shapes)
Plankton Net: General Oceanics (Donation of a 10-micron plankton net)
Materials: Miami Aqua-Culture (Donation of 40-micron mesh material), BioBAT Art Space
Lens: New York Microscopical Society (Loan of low-magnification objective lens)

Equipment & Techniques

Microscope: Olympus BX-51 Compound Light Microscope
Imaging Equipment: Panasonic Lumix Camera
Microscopy Techniques: Darkfield Microscopy, Polarized Light Microscopy, Brightfield Microscopy with Polarizing Filters, Retardation Plate Imaging
Collection & Fabrication Tools: Custom Microfabricated Microscope Slides, Custom Laser-Cut Mylar Stencils, 10-Micron Plankton Net, 40-Micron Mesh, Tungsten Needles for Specimen Arrangement, 2.5x Low-Magnification Objective Lens, Custom-Built Plankton Collection Nets

Credits and technical information courtesy of artist Danielle Parsons and collaborators.