New Yorkers may not agree on which urban animal is the most fitting symbol for their city — the agile rat, the nuclear-resistant cockroach or the rebellious pigeon — but the latter may soon have an edge with the form of a 16-foot-high monument which will sit atop the elevated High Line Park on the city’s west side. The next order that will land above Tenth Avenue on the park’s prominent podium will be Dinosaur (2024), a hyper-realistic aluminum sculpture of a pigeon by Iván Argote, the Bogotá-born, Paris-based artist.
“The name Dinosaur “The name alludes to the scale of the sculpture and to the ancestors of the pigeon that dominated the planet millions of years ago, just as we humans do today,” Argote said in a statement. “The name also serves as a reference to the extinction of the dinosaur. Like them, one day we will no longer exist, but perhaps a remnant of humanity will continue to live – like the pigeons – in the dark and empty corners of future worlds. I feel that this sculpture could create a strange sense of attraction, seduction and fear in the people of New York.”
Like many New Yorkers, pigeons are not “native” to the area. They are believed to have been brought to the city in the 17th century by European settlers. And, like the generations of MBA graduates who moved to the city in search of Wall Street jobs, pigeons thrive in their adopted environment and now line the sidewalks in their shiny suits. The city’s pigeon population is estimated to outnumber the human population, with about nine million birds compared to the city’s nearly eight million people.
Critical but also funny perspective
“Iván has a fascinating ability as an artist to take something familiar and make us reexamine it in a profound way,” said Cecilia Alemani, director and chief curator of High Line Art. “His sculpture for the High Line Plinth adds a critical yet humorous perspective to the ongoing conversation about public art.”
Criticisms of traditional monuments and public art — and a preference for pigeons — are recurrent throughout Argote’s work, which includes documenting the removal of a statue of French colonial commander Joseph Gallieni from a public square in Paris in vases constructed to resemble historical monuments. Nominated for France’s top contemporary art prize, the Prix Marcel Duchamp, in 2022, Argote’s installation at the Centre Pompidou featured videos of monuments being removed and dismantled, projected onto a gallery filled with seemingly inverted obelisks.
When will it be revealed?
Argote’s striking dove will be the fourth commission for the High Line Plinth, following works by Pamela Rosenkranz, Simone Leigh and Sam Durant. Rosenkranz’s sculpture, Old Tree (2023), a neon pink tree, will be on display through September. Argote’s dinosaur will be unveiled next month and will remain on display for 18 months.
Source: CNN
