Common Picnic: Halo-Halo Edition

2025
wood, Paint
2½ x 20 x 20 feet


Common Picnic: Halo-Halo Edition is an interactive outdoor installation designed for communal meals, lounging, and play. An evolution of the original Common Picnic (2015), this new commission for the waterfront at Brookfield Place features a series of interconnected picnic tables that reflect the experience of living in a crowded city where one often shares personal space with friends and strangers alike.

The new colorful version is inspired by halo-halo, a layered Filipino dessert that literally means “mix-mix.” It is made up of vibrant ingredients—like tropical fruit, sweet beans, and ube ice cream—each with its own cultural origins. Just as halo-halo combines many flavors into one dish, Common Picnic: Halo-Halo Edition celebrates the joyful blending of people and experiences. By inviting visitors to interact in shared public space, it embodies the Philippine concept of kapwa, a deeply shared sense of self that unites and connects us to one another.

Brookfield Place will be hosting lunchtime DJ sets from 12:30 – 1:30pm with P41DZ (June 4) and Anito Soul (June 25) celebrating Filipino culture in connection with Common Picnic: Halo-Halo Edition during their Pride Concerts music event. 

This installation was created through the 2025 Brookfield Place New York Annual Arts Commission, and fabricated by Chateau Brooklyn.

More Information:

photos: Risa Puno and Arts Brookfield, courtesy of the artist