There’s a really great new art installation in and around Madison Square Park…
…which serves as a reminder that you should stop worrying about looking like a tourist…
…and look up once in a while.
Antony Gormley’s installation Event Horizon hit the media this past week, as news outlets spread the word that the human silhouettes seen atop Madison Square Park buildings were just sculptures, and not people attempting suicide.
There are 14 in total, spread across the area, and it’s a lot of fun trying to spot them.
For a tremendous amount of bullshit regarding the meaning of the installation according to the artist, click here.
Personally, I just like the surreality these sculptures bring to the neighborhood. The buildings are all the exact same historical landmarks that have gone unchanged for decades…but something is out of sorts, a blip in your peripheral vision, and holy crap, what is that up there? The fact that such a sensation could be caused by such a minute change is pretty impressive, and in effect makes you re-examine the surroundings you know so well (Gormley, you are welcome to add this one to the list).
According to Gormley’s Chelsea art dealer, the pieces have been priced at $2.3 Million dollars, which seems like highway robbery considering they seem to lose just about all significance when removed from their locations…But then, I’m just a guy working for Hollywood, so what do I know?
In the meantime, I think it’d be great to one-up Gormley by having someone actually go up to one of the surrounding rooftops and stand like a statue for a bit…then move around to really freak out the people below. How meta can you get?
-SCOUT
PS – Check out my pics of the last Madison Square Park installation: treehouses!
This is a perfect example of how something totally awesome can be knocked off kilter by the artist opening his mouth.
What the hell is “one’s status of embedment,” anyway? I go look it up, and I get stuck in a circle going back to “embed,” verb.
Guess that’s what he means.
Another reason to look up in NY!
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if at least one artist responded (when asked about their work) … “I don’t know. I just thought it would be cool.”
Thanks for solving this mystery for me…I had no idea what the statues were doing on tops of buildings in that area. I did capture one last week as well: http://imgur.com/ejQlE.jpg
I just noticed these this morning on my way to work–again, your site and my observations are in sync!
By the way, my trip home last night took me on a detour and at 28th and Broadway, I happened to look up and see what looks like an ancient Greek hall atop a tall, narrow building on the SW corner (the building with the “Clover Trading Corp.” on the ground floor. Just thought you’d find it interesting.
Google map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1170+broadway+ny&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=1170+Broadway,+New+York,+NY+10001&gl=us&ei=6NmsS_XdAoLGlQfhrtSPAQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CAoQ8gEwAA
Covered that one!
http://www.scoutingny.com/?p=485
love this. hope it’s still up late this summer so i can see it.
[...] This was a mystery that I needed to solve. I did some research online but came up empty. A couple days later, I randomly stumbled upon my answer from a Tweet that linked to a blog post written by a NYC-based film location scouting describing a new art exhibit in the area of Madison Square Park (you can read the full post here). [...]
Oh man, am loving these posts. I’ve already seen two that I’ve shot as well, including this one.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnhoke/sets/72157623596938800/
I was there when they only had like four figures up. Need to go back up there!
Can’t wait to read the rest of the entries.
Shawn
[...] from one of my favourite blogs Scouting NY. For a page of Gormley-provided information click [...]
These statues were in London not so long ago (well maybe a year or two ago). I wonder if they are the same – they look the same, and were scattered all over the show on rooftops. Not quite sure I see the point, and I wonder how many unnecessary phone calls the emergency services are getting.
THese statues are dumb. I work in the area, walked past 5th ave and 23rd St and saw 2 twentysomething girls on their knees taking a pic with a statue.. i wondered wtf so i got closer.. The statue is naked with a huge schlong, and they were holding the shlong and making believe to kiss it!.. and there were kids and families nearby … totally tasteless art in my opinion don’t see the point or how it makes the city great with this.
another ridiculous waste of money .. like the iditiotic curtains in central park a few years ago. meanwhile hospitals and schools are closing.
Great shots of NYC – thx for posting!