At noon today, April 30, a 65-foot-long hot dog sculpture debuted in New York City’s Times Square, raining confetti on tourists and passersby alike after ascending to a 45-degree angle. On view through June 13 and impossible to miss, the Times Square Art commission by the dimensional art duo Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw not only rains confetti every day at noon, but is also the site of various upcoming events — both tangentially and directly related to hot dogs.
People from all over the world stopped in their tracks upon laying eyes on the enormous wiener, pausing to take photos of and with it, and even video-call their loved ones to make sure no one was missing out on the fun. Catron and Outlaw’s “Hot Dog in the City” (2024), complete with puckered ends and a ribbon of mustard, not only enhances the entropy of Times Square, but also dominates the palate entirely amid the sensory overload of slow-moving crowds, creepy costumed characters demanding paid selfies, the infamous Naked Cowboy, and retina-singing digital billboards.
Staying in a hotel room with a direct view of the hot dog, a couple named Jeff and Cathy from Dayton, Ohio, told Hyperallergic that they missed the confetti celebration but agreed with the Catron and Outlaw’s choice of featured condiment, though Cathy noted that “stadium mustard is preferred, but yellow mustard is fine.”
Tanya McQueen, Jeff Hicks, and Korey and Chris Benton, who landed in the city three hours earlier from Dallas, Texas, remarked that it was “about time the hot dog gets its own tribute” given all the hot dog stands on every corner. They were totally thrown off by the sculpture when their taxi pulled into Times Square, but found it inspiring enough to make a beeline to the closest hot dog stand after speaking with Hyperallergic.
Catron, Outlaw, and Times Square Art have planned a variety of events around the temporary artwork, including but not limited to a condiment-themed wrestling match featuring drag wrestlers from Choke Hole, a dog beauty pageant hosted by the American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog, an official Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest, and a “hot dog summit” where various parties get right to the meat of it in conversations about over-consumption, the lives of street vendors, gender bias in competitive eating, factory farming, and the meat industry.
Elizabeth and Bernard, a Manhattan couple who paid the formidable frank a visit with their Papillon named Finley, told Hyperallergic that they were most excited about the dog beauty pageant, in which Finley will be competing. Hyperallergic can attest that Finley is likely to gobble up his competition as he nailed his poses for the camera, though Elizabeth says he needs some work on the talent portion of the pageant.
Anyone can feast their eyes on the “Hot Dog in the City” until June 13, but the actual hot dog stands less than 20 feet away will always be around to fill our stomachs.
