Art in Focus

Rockefeller Center, in partnership with Art Production Fund, presents a series of public art pop-ups throughout the Center. Taking place in unique and unexpected locations, the multidisciplinary program showcases installations inspired by the New York City landscape and contemporary life.

Current Installation:

GREG ITO

Rockefeller Center and Art Production Fund welcome Los Angeles-based artist Greg Ito to New York City for a vibrant new summer exhibition. The Enlightenment transforms one of New York’s most well-known landmarks into an immersive journey filled with rich symbolism and dreamlike motifs. On view from June 2 - August 29, audiences are invited to explore key pillars of Ito’s practice (painting, sculpture, installation and film) in this ambitious exhibition.

The Enlightenment showcases Ito’s signature use of vivid color, recurring motifs, and storytelling across multiple mediums celebrating themes of growth, renewal, and transformation. This marks the first time Ito will exhibit both his painting and photographic work side by side in a public space of this scale.

The vitrine spaces of 45 Rockefeller Plaza are activated with three-dimensional installations that combine painting and sculpture. The vitrines become sculptural dioramas of interior spaces, functioning as portals and echoing themes of regeneration and resilience. Each vitrine depicts a vibrant scene, where window motifs and sculptural props are intertwined to create a layered emotional landscape. The progression of day to twilight anchor the rhythm of the story, framed by windows within blooming interiors. Ito’s work employs a rich visual language - flames, blooming flowers, the sun, and other symbols - to illuminate the interconnected cycles of the natural world and human experience.

Beneath the 45 Rockefeller Center lobby, on the Rink Level, a panoramic vinyl installation unfolds a narrative that brings together Ito’s painting and photography for the first time. Each photograph captures a meticulously staged moment, inviting viewers to follow a transformative journey starring the artist himself, toward enlightenment. The core pillars of Ito’s practice - painting, sculpture, installation, and film - remain the foundation of his visual language, while photography acts as the connective tissue, uniting these elements into a single, immersive experience. Spanning 125 feet, the installation draws inspiration from New York’s rich history of theater and Los Angeles’ legacy of cinema.

Imagery from Ito’s paintings also appear across The Center in several public locations (30 Rockefeller Plaza, 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, and more). The large-scale vinyl imagery reflects Ito’s cinematic influences and personal mythology: sunsets, doorways, flames, and magical landscapes, with each piece acting as a visual chapter in a larger story of transformation.