With equal parts spectacle, celebration, and critique, Catron and Outlaw symbolically supersize the all-American hot dog to examine consumption, capitalism, class, and contemporary culture. Hot Dog in the City builds upon the artists’ layered conceptual practice which spans elaborate large-scale sculptures, kinetic installations and immersive experiences, often infused with humor and camp to prompt cultural and political commentary.

Introduced to the American masses by central European immigrants as a working-class street food in the 1800s, the hot dog has since become synonymous with contemporary American culture — a staple at baseball games and Fourth of July celebrations, and even employed as a tool of US international relations, referred to as “hot dog diplomacy.” As a symbol and a street cart offering, the hot dog is also a mainstay throughout Times Square and a New York City icon, akin to the yellow taxi cab, the pretzel, the deli cup, and the Playbill.

Free and on view to the public 24/7 during its exhibition in Times Square, Hot Dog in the City consists of  a colossal bun and classic red-tinged frankfurter topped with a giant drizzle of mustard. Controlled by hydraulic mechanisms, the hot dog will periodically ascend toward the sky and shower visitors below with confetti. Staged at high noon, these confetti festivities playfully reference quintessential American celebrations — from New Year’s Eve and hometown parades, to political rallies and gender reveal parties — as well as the hyper-masculinity and showmanship often associated with American culture and patriotism.

While Catron and Outlaw’s sculpture reverberates with the spectacle and towering scale that defines Times Square, the colossal frank also serves as a Trojan horse for deeper dialogue. Drawing parallels between the history of the hot dog and American culture as a whole, the project sheds light on topics such as street vending as an immigrant experience, the underbelly of the meat industry, the patriarchy of meat-eating, and American politics.

Throughout the duration of the project, Catron, Outlaw and Times Square Arts will activate the sculpture and its surroundings with public programs that explore the complexities, conflicting views, and absurdities and lore of the hot dog in New York City and America. Performances, talks, debates, and contests—such as a virtual condiment ballot box, wrestling matches, and dialogues led by street vendors and food historians—aim to inspire meaningful conversations and draw unexpected intersections. Whether you’re Team Ketchup vs Team Mustard, a vegan or competitive meat eater, the hot dog offers a low-stakes exercise in engaging opposing views and embracing a diversity of perspectives. The simultaneously delightful and grotesque super-sized artwork holds multitudes of opportunities for both entertainment and contemplation.

To further uplift the voices of street vendors and the critical civic issues that shape the landscape of their work, the artists will launch a video series with the Street Vendor Project (SVP)—a membership-based organization that champions the rights of street vendors as small businesses to earn a living and contribute to the culture and life of New York City.

Fabrication services for Hot Dog in the City were handled by The Factory NYC, Stronghold Fine Arts and Themendous Scenic Studios. A special thank you to Marc Agger at Agger Fish Co.

‍

To Be Frank Hot Dog Summit Panels:

Act 1: History of the Hot Dog & Other Myths @ 12:05pm
A candid, comedic, broad-strokes retelling of the contested histories of the hot dog
Speaker: Jamie Loftus, Author of Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs

Act 2: Street Vending & the American Dream @ 12:45pm
The contemporary politics of street vending, the immigrant experience, and the pursuit of the American Dream
Panelists:

• Krishnendu Ray, PhD, Professor of Food Studies, New York University
• Mohamed Attia, Managing Director, Street Vendor Project

Interludes:

The Jungle (2020): Sent from my iPhone - ALL DAY 12–5pm
A roving tragicomic operatic capitalist fantasia based on peak COVID email exchanges between meatpacking CEOs

The Great Condiment Debate @ 1:20pm
A condiment-themed debate presented by the high schoolers of the American Debate League

Act 3: Food Futures & Empowered Eating @ 1:45pm
Cultivating equity, access, and sovereignty on the frontlines of the food apartheid
Panelists:

• Tracie McMillan, Author of The White Bonus and The American Way of Eating‍
•  Ora Wise, Organizational Development and Partnerships Director at FIG NYC

Act 4: The Wiener Takes All! @ 2:45pm
Champion chewers and cultural critics dissect the uninhibited engorgement and skillful sport of competitive eating
Panelists:

• Adrienne Rose Bitar, PhD, Cultural Critic on Food, Health and Competitive Eating, Author of Diet and the Disease of Civilization‍
• Crazy Legs Conti, Major League Eating Competitive Eater
• Marnie Shure, Food and Pop Culture Writer

Act 5: The Sexual Politics of Meat @ 3:25pm
A vegan-feminist perspective on the consumptive violence, meat eating and contemporary culture
Speaker: Carol J. Adams, activist and author of The Sexual Politics of Meat

Act 6: How the Sausage Got Made @ 4pm
Hot Dog in the City artists discuss their approach to producing their latest public art commission
Speakers:

• Jen Catron, Artist, Hot Dog in the City
• Paul Outlaw, Artist, Hot Dog in the City
• Jean Cooney, Director, Times Square Arts
• Jamie Loftus, Author of Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs