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Make-Out Art Exhibit Melts the Ice in Times Square

By Jill Colvin | July 14, 2011 6:16pm | Updated on July 14, 2011 6:20pm
Nicolás Arze and his wife, Katiushka, smooched on a block of ice in Times Square as it melted.
Nicolás Arze and his wife, Katiushka, smooched on a block of ice in Times Square as it melted.
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DNAinfo/Jill Colvin

MIDTOWN — It was an ice-melting make-out at the Crossroads of the World.

A passionate couple turned up the heat in Times Square Thursday, locking lips on a melting block of ice in front of curious tourists as part of the El Museo del Barrio’s sixth biennial celebration.

“The (S) Files 2011” performance on the Broadway plazas near Duffy Square showcased some of the most innovative art by Latin and Caribbean artists across the city.

Brooklyn’s Irvin Morazan drew the most stares with his elaborate performance piece.

Dressed in brightly colored fatigues and an elaborate headdress featuring a giant "Ghettoblaster," gold chains and a golden coyote, Morazan moved to booming tribal psychedelic music as a low-rider Cadillac tricked out with hydraulics bounced behind him.

In another section of the plaza, Nicolás Arze and wife, Katiushka, who perform under the stage name nicoykatiushka, donned ice skates and stepped onto a block of ice. The pair began to passionately kiss — and planned to continue locking lips until the iced fully melted.

The last time they pulled the stunt, it took six hours for the ice to melt.

The performance also featured a Ford F-120 pickup truck filled with sand, a lawn chair and beach umbrella. Visitors were given the chance to lounge on the "beach" for photos that may later be featured in an exhibit, museum staff said.

“I don’t understand it, but it’s awesome!” said Rickey Jones, 27, who works at the TKTS booth as he passed by the kissing couple before he started his shift. "I'm speechless. I just don't know what to say."

Others stopped to stare and snap photos and video with their phones.

Morazan said his performance was inspired by the many subcultures of the city.

Originally from El Salvador, Morazan, 33, played on his fascination with Mayan culture by creating an ancient headdress featuring modern items, like the boom-box, an homage to the '80s and '90s car club and hip-hop subcultures, complete with the golden Caddy that performed stunts, like resting on its side.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” said Casey Davis, 50, from New Jersey, who stumbled on the performance while giving his brother a tour of Midtown.

The elder Davis, 57, from South Carolina, was most impressed by the car’s paint job and golden rims.

Joseph Nolan, 48, who works on 42nd Street, and passed by on his lunch break, also found a practical purpose.

“It’s good if you had a flat tire,” said Nolan, who said that, in addition to liking the car, he's been impressed by the constant stream of art and performance pieces put on display by the Times Square Alliance this summer.

“It brings everyone together," agreed Brooklyn’s John Smertiuk, 34, while taking a rare stroll through Midtown. "It brings something a little more to the Times Square area,” he said.

The performances in Times Square will last through Thursday evening. El Museo del Barrio's "The (S) Files 2011" will continue through Jan. 8, 2012, with 75 artists at seven venues throughout he city.