No, you’re not hallucinating — you may have actually seen comically large flamingos casting their ballots in front of the Palm Beach County supervisor of elections headquarters.
The civic-minded flamboyance made their voices heard. Well, kind of. The towering 27-feet fiberglass and steel flamingos — three of them standing between one empty voting booth — are part of a colorful, eye-catching public art display by the county to spur voter participation.
In front of the county supervisor of elections building in West Palm Beach, the pink birds are seen casting ballots in oversized voting booths a few feet lower in height — a metaphor for the magnitude of this year’s presidential election between leading candidates Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald J. Trump.
The installation is designed for both voters and people passing by.
“Some people ride bicycles, some people walk, but the majority go by car,” Matthew Mazzotta told WLRN. “So I wanted something that you could read really quickly as you're going to this voting place or as you're passing by maybe on that street. So I wanted to have it large.”
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Just as large as the number of county residents showing up. Early voting turnout in Palm Beach County has been strong, with 50% of registered voters —approximately 450,000 people — have already cast their ballots for local, state, and federal elections.
Mazzotta, whose public art projects have earned numerous international awards, told WLRN he blends art and activism to explore how the built environment influences interpersonal relationships and physical experiences.
The $750,000 installation, titled "VOTE," highlights the deep connection between public art and politics — he took early artistic influences from punk music and various modes of expression that coalesce social commentary with aesthetics.
Florida flamingos, of course, can’t actually vote. But that’s the point, Mazzotta explains.
The native New Yorker said that the flamingos in this project represent the voiceless individuals unable to vote.
“So this is kind of like thinking about people around the world and other countries that are affected by us in the United States that can vote,” Mazzotta said.
“As well as all the plants and animals and ecosystems and so on around the world. So all the things that are affected that don't get the chance to vote," he said.
The "VOTE" installation, which took three years to complete because of pandemic-related challenges, is set to remain as a permanent fixture in West Palm Beach.
Early voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. And completed ballots must be submitted to the Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Nov. 5, Election Day. Polling locations open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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