For three days in September, Rockefeller Center shed its usual armor of stone and commerce and became a riot of color. Artist CJ Hendry, known for transforming everyday objects into hyperreal icons, returned to New York with Flower Market 2.0 a spectacle of plush flowers, playful abundance, and unexpected intimacy in the heart of Midtown.
Last year’s Flower Market began modestly on Roosevelt Island before swelling to Industry City under the weight of its own popularity. This year, Hendry chose Rockefeller Center as her stage. Twenty-seven brand-new plush flower designs filled the plaza, each visitor invited to take one home. Upstairs, at the Top of the Rock, an exclusive 28th edition was offered as a coveted add-on, a nod to scarcity in a world of spectacle.
The night before, Hendry and her team took to Instagram Live to broadcast the setup, arranging installations under the glow of floodlights, Rockefeller’s granite softened by bursts of fabric and form. Watching it unfold digitally, then stepping into the finished market hours later, underscored Hendry’s gift for turning the process itself into performance.
My own visit began at the ground level, moving through the plaza as children and adults alike clutched flowers like souvenirs of something fleeting. At one point, I noticed artist KahriAnne Kerr, whose fashion-inspired dolls have earned her global acclaim, reaching for her own flower. It was a reminder that Hendry’s work speaks not only to the public but to her peers in the creative community.
From there, I carried my flower upward, climbing to the Top of the Rock. Against the skyline, plush stem in hand, the city stretched out in all directions steel, glass, and now, a soft bloom at its center.
