As you know, we love covering the ever-changing art installations on The High Line. However, when “Foot Fountain (pink)” by Mika Rottenberg first stepped onto the scene in April, we weren’t exactly sure if we wanted to feature it. Now months have gone by and we just can’t turn away from the pink foot statue, finding ourselves frequently intrigued by the display. We thought that it was time to share, especially with the hot days of summer approaching. The ten foot sculpture doubles as a fountain spouting out water from the top which Rottenberg explains saying, “on the High Line, instead of nurturing the well-tended gardens, I thought it should nurture and cool passersby on hot days, and share some of its overenthusiastic spirit!” Luckily when we snapped this photo the foot didn’t spray us, but we imagine on a really hot summer’s day one might actually find some relief in the foot’s spray. The sculpture will be on display until May 2026, if you find yourself on the High Line you can’t miss it!
“Fragile Giants” by Michel Bassompierre
Photos by Misia Delgado
Park Avenue has been taken over by a slew of “Fragile Giants.” The installation by artist Michel Bassompierre features the artist’s signature playful animals cast in bronze, welcoming all who stroll down the street. The sculptures were unveiled this May for Park Avenue Day, and will be on display for the next year through May 2026. Visitors can see these cuddly creatures on Park Avenue between 34th and 38th streets.
“Infinite Accumulation” by Yayoi Kusama
We can never get enough of Yayoi Kusama’s polka dot centric work, and after years of visiting her exhibitions across the world in Melbourne, London, Rockaway, and Chelsea, we were delighted to catch another sighting of Kusama’s work in London. “Infinite Accumulation” sits next to the Liverpool Street Station, captivating travelers with its interconnected silver dots. The glimmering steel sculpture is over ten meters high, with surfaces so shiny viewers can catch themselves in the reflection. Kusama’s inspiration for the piece came from the city of London itself, as she explained “London is a massive metropolis with people of all cultures moving constantly. The spheres symbolize unique personalities while the supporting curvilinear lines allow us to imagine an underpinning social structure.” Art lovers simply must hop off the tube to see Kusama’s first permanent London installation in person!
“Le Petit Prince” by Jean-Marc de Pas
Photos by Misia Delgado
Since his story was first published in 1943, Le Petit Prince, or The Little Prince, has travelled across the world and delighted readers. His story, originally written by French author Antoine de Saint Exupéry, has been translated into hundreds of languages and is one of the best-selling books in history. Now, through the work of sculptor Jean-Marc de Pas, the Little Prince has come to reside in New York City, (we presume through G visa status if we had to guess, although we didn’t do the visa application). A bronze sculpture of the character sits on a ledge outside the Villa Albertine, a historic French bookstore on the Upper East Side and headquarters of the cultural services of the French Embassy of the U.S. The statue of the whimsical young prince invites viewers to take a moment to pause, sit, and reflect on life as he reminds us “it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
“Love Continuum” by Yoni Alter
Twisting and curving through Union Square is a new sculpture, which only reveals itself when the viewer positions themselves just-so. “Love Continuum” by Yoni Alter features a twenty-five foot long red squiggle, in a bold design that invites viewers to climb on and around it. The piece displays the word “love,” but viewers have to find the right spot to catch the sculpture’s message. The installation invites us all to reflect on different perspectives on “love,” looking at the word from new angles. Viewers can find the inviting sculpture in New York’s Union Square through late summer.
Fordham’s Magis Sculpture Exhibition
Energized by the warming temperatures and our trip to the Pratt Institute’s sculpture walk a few weeks ago, we decided to explore the art offerings of other schools in New York City. We were happy to find the newly installed “Magis Sculpture Exhibition” on Fordham University’s Lincoln Center campus. Tucked away in a calm grassy plaza just above street level, the installation features works on loan from Nantucket’s Cavalier Galleries. We were thrilled to see the work of Bjørn Skaarup, having enjoyed his “Hippo Ballerina” since 2017. This installation included Skaarup’s “The Majestic Lion,” “The Frog” and “The Giraffe,” as well as works like “After Shopping” from artist Bruno Lucchesi. As we begin to thaw from winter, we hope you get a chance to catch this great installation.
Pratt Institute Sculpture Park
Nestled away in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn is the sprawling campus of the Pratt Institute (“Pratt”). For over a century, Pratt has educated bachelor’s and master’s students in the arts, serving as an incubator for creativity in New York City. As temperatures began to rise here in New York, we took a lovely stroll through Pratt’s sculpture park. The park includes a collection of over seventy sculptures by artists, faculty, and graduates on display throughout campus, which is open to the public.
Pratt’s sculpture collection is constantly evolving, with works on loan to the university for a few years at a time. On this visit, were able to appreciate the works of artists like James Tyler, Nova Mihai Popa, Wendy Klemperer, Santiago Calatrava, and Martha Walker. The grounds have pieces to enjoy and explore every few meters – the sculptural lions, spheres, and “brickheads” we enjoyed barely scratch the surface of what the park has to offer. We look forward to return visits to continue exploring Pratt’s extraordinary displays!
Penguin Parade Sculpture Trail
A colony of penguins have shed their tuxedos and descended upon London, calling the Fleet Street Quarter home through January 5th. The “Penguin Parade Sculpture Trail” is made up of twelve individual penguins decked out in their holiday finest. Each penguin is designed by a different artist in collaboration with Wild in Art and the conservation charity WWF, and the sculptures share interesting facts about our fine feathered friends and the Fleet Street Quarter. Author and stand-up comedian Olaf Falafel provides an audio tour through the parade and visitors can use a map to locate the entire waddling crew. On our recent quest through the neighborhood, we were greeted by penguins Percy, Buddy, Snowy, Santa Paws, Kevin the Kinguin, The Forest at Christmas, and Pullover Penguin.
“Secondary Forest” by Giulia Cenci
The High Line is one of our favorite spots in the city, and we are enjoying the last sunny days of fall by exploring the current contemporary art exhibitions on view. The installation “Secondary Forest” by Italian artist Giulia Cenci stands at 24th street, welcoming visitors to investigate the intersection of human forms and organic elements. The sculptures depict animals, plants, and human appendages created from melted down scrap metal to create a forest that has regenerated after human-caused disturbances, much like the Highline itself. In fact, the artist described how the unique location of the exhibit, which hovers above NYC’s Meatpacking District, where slaughterhouses once stood and chic restaurants and shops now line the streets, influenced her work. As the artist explains, “[T]he High Line is a beautiful work itself; I immediately loved the way nature has been growing and devouring a manmade infrastructure. I started to fantasize about an area where different people, animals, plants, machines, and invisible entities are meeting and crossing.” Cenci’s thought-provoking work will be displayed through March 2025.
Dinosaur by Iván Argote
Not to be outdone by our friend in London, “Dinosaur” has made its debut on The High Line. The 16-foot-tall aluminum pigeon sculpture is the newest High Line installation, surveying the city from 30th street. The name “Dinosaur” serves as a nod to the humble pigeon’s incredible origins, as the common birds descended from dinosaurs.
Artist Iván Argote noted that when developing the piece, he wanted to make something strange, funny, and provoking. With this installation, Argote places the pigeon on a pedestal, the kind of space usually reserved for leaders, heroes, or historical figures, and by doing so pushes New Yorkers to question who and what we commemorate. Pigeons, like many of the city’s residents, migrated here from abroad, and Argote highlights that “even the pigeon, a New York fixture, migrated here and made the city their home.”