Public Art
WATCH – BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video
Battery Park City is home to a world-renowned collection of public art, a central and foundation element of this thriving 92-acre neighborhood. From sculpture like Martin Puryear’s stately Pylons, to Mary Miss’ intriguingly beautiful land and water installation South Cove, to Agnes Denes’ pioneering environmental work Wheatfield – A Confrontation, BPCA has a long history of presenting art from a diverse range of artists that powerfully transforms public space, encourages social cohesion, and promotes awareness about cultural, environmental, and civic challenges. As part of its strategic plan, BPCA has renewed its efforts as a place that cultivates the art for our time, evidenced by recent temporary installations such as Sunrise/Sunset (Revolution) by Autumn Ewalt and Dharmesh Patel, the debut of Blessing of the Boats by Muna Malik, and The House That Will Not Pass For Any Color Than Its Own by Mildred Howard.
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JUSTICE REFLECTED
- Artist: James Yaya Hough Glass and mirror
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Justice Reflected (with James Yaya Hough)
Created in partnership with the Art for Justice Fund and the Battery Park City Authority.
Read more in Hyperallergic: NYC Unveils Stained-Glass Works by Formerly Incarcerated Artist
James Yaya Hough has
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GEOLOGIC SECTIONS
- Artist: Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil Bluestone
Within Teardrop Park’s winding paths, up the hillside slopes, under tree canopies and near play areas, visitors encounter subtle and powerful art by Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil. Integrated into the surface of the landscape are four dramatic rock formations, Geologic Sections, that were composed by the artists “to reveal
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Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution)
- Artists: Autumn Ewalt and Dharmesh Patel Aluminum and glass
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution) (with Autumn Ewalt)
Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution) originally consisted of nine triptychs of graduated heights that appear to rise and fall like abstract mountains, and correspond to the Sun’s path from east to west horizons. Three thousand prisms, installed
-
The Real World
- Artist: Tom Otterness Bronze
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – The Real World (with Tom Otterness)
Taking over its corner of the park with gleeful abandon, Tom Otterness’s whimsical sculptural installation entitled The Real World is one of New York’s most popular public artworks. Cast in bronze, the sculptures feature Otterness’s
-
Pavilion
- Artist: Demetri Porphyrios Granite, wood, brick & copper
Rising from the scenic lawns of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, below the junction of River Terrace and Warren Street, The Pavilion occupies a unique position in the landscape, as if negotiating a common ground between the greensward and the city beyond. Because the structure has no walls, both the
-
Pylons
- Artist: Martin Puryear Granite & stainless steel
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Pylons
Martin Puryear’s stately Pylons rise along the waterfront of the Belvedere, framing the sightlines of the Winter Garden. Both columns are made from stainless steel and are composed from six segments. In their contours they are a study in opposites.
-
Waterfront Plaza
- Artists: Siah Armajani & Scott Burton Bronze & steel
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Waterfront Plaza on BPCA’s YouTube Channel.
As the first major public waterfront plaza built on the Hudson River, the Plaza was commissioned by the Battery Park City Authority as part of its public art program, and was conceived as a multi-purpose space, providing
-
Upper Room
- Artist: Ned Smyth Concrete, glass, gravel & bluestone
Designed by Ned Smyth, Upper Room is a handsome colonnaded court marking the entrance to the Esplanade at Albany Street. At once dignified and playful, reverent and inviting, this self-contained sculptural environment suggests a contemporary reimagining of an ancient Egyptian temple offering stylized sanctuary from the surrounding city even as
-
Rector Gate
- Artist: R.M. Fischer Stainless steel, bronze, granite
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Rector Gate (with R.M. Fischer)
R.M. Fischer’s Rector Gate is a festive archway marking the intersection of Rector Place and the Hudson River Esplanade. Built of Steel, bronze, and granite, and rising 50 feet high, the gateway draws its inspiration both from past
-
Sitting Stance
- Artist: Richard Artschwager Granite, steel & wood
Artschwager’s installation consists of five separate pieces situated at the junction of West Thames Street and the Esplanade. At the center is a street lamp shrunken to squat proportions, surrounded by a wooden armature imitating its crown and girded by an upraised circular bench and table. A second circular seating
-
South Cove
- Artist: Mary Miss Natural plantings, metal & rock
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – South Cove (with Mary Miss)
South Cove is an unusual, meditative recess along the waterfront. Considered one of the country’s most significant public artworks, the work is the result of a unique collaboration between environmental artist Mary Miss, architect Stanton Eckstut
-
Ape & Cat (At the Dance)
- Artist: Jim Dine Bronze & wood
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Ape & Cat (At the Dance) (with Jim Dine)
Although they do not have human features, Jim Dine’s Ape & Cat (At the Dance) exude the sort of civility and tenderness to which many urbanites aspire. Made of cast bronze, the figures are
-
Eyes
- Artist: Louise Bourgeois Granite
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Eyes
Eyes marks a departure for the artist in that the subject, unlike previous treatments, is explored as two large units representing eyes separated from any suggested surrounding physiognomy. Resting directly on the ground a calculated distance from each other, they
-
Resonating Bodies
- Artist: Tony Cragg Bronze
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Resonating Bodies (with Tony Cragg)
Created by British artist Tony Cragg, Resonating Bodies consists of a pair of bronze sculptures resembling giant musical instruments. One resembles a lute, the other, a tuba. This playful work is based on the concept that all physical
-
Ulysses
- Artist: Ugo Attardi Bronze on marble base
Ugo Attardi’s Ulysses, a figure of warmth and energy is defined by the artist as II Modern Baroque. The body, fierce with beauty and Hellenic elegance is united to, and contrasted with, the helmet-mask, which hides and reveals weakness and complexity in the face of the warrior-hero. The dark mask,
-
JUSTICE REFLECTED
- Artist: James Yaya Hough Glass and mirror
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Justice Reflected (with James Yaya Hough)
Created in partnership with the Art for Justice Fund and the Battery Park City Authority.
Read more in Hyperallergic: NYC Unveils Stained-Glass Works by Formerly Incarcerated Artist
James Yaya Hough has
-
GEOLOGIC SECTIONS
- Artist: Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil Bluestone
Within Teardrop Park’s winding paths, up the hillside slopes, under tree canopies and near play areas, visitors encounter subtle and powerful art by Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil. Integrated into the surface of the landscape are four dramatic rock formations, Geologic Sections, that were composed by the artists “to reveal
-
Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution)
- Artists: Autumn Ewalt and Dharmesh Patel Aluminum and glass
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution) (with Autumn Ewalt)
Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution) originally consisted of nine triptychs of graduated heights that appear to rise and fall like abstract mountains, and correspond to the Sun’s path from east to west horizons. Three thousand prisms, installed
-
The Real World
- Artist: Tom Otterness Bronze
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – The Real World (with Tom Otterness)
Taking over its corner of the park with gleeful abandon, Tom Otterness’s whimsical sculptural installation entitled The Real World is one of New York’s most popular public artworks. Cast in bronze, the sculptures feature Otterness’s
-
Pavilion
- Artist: Demetri Porphyrios Granite, wood, brick & copper
Rising from the scenic lawns of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, below the junction of River Terrace and Warren Street, The Pavilion occupies a unique position in the landscape, as if negotiating a common ground between the greensward and the city beyond. Because the structure has no walls, both the
-
Pylons
- Artist: Martin Puryear Granite & stainless steel
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Pylons
Martin Puryear’s stately Pylons rise along the waterfront of the Belvedere, framing the sightlines of the Winter Garden. Both columns are made from stainless steel and are composed from six segments. In their contours they are a study in opposites.
-
Waterfront Plaza
- Artists: Siah Armajani & Scott Burton Bronze & steel
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Waterfront Plaza on BPCA’s YouTube Channel.
As the first major public waterfront plaza built on the Hudson River, the Plaza was commissioned by the Battery Park City Authority as part of its public art program, and was conceived as a multi-purpose space, providing
-
Upper Room
- Artist: Ned Smyth Concrete, glass, gravel & bluestone
Designed by Ned Smyth, Upper Room is a handsome colonnaded court marking the entrance to the Esplanade at Albany Street. At once dignified and playful, reverent and inviting, this self-contained sculptural environment suggests a contemporary reimagining of an ancient Egyptian temple offering stylized sanctuary from the surrounding city even as
-
Rector Gate
- Artist: R.M. Fischer Stainless steel, bronze, granite
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Rector Gate (with R.M. Fischer)
R.M. Fischer’s Rector Gate is a festive archway marking the intersection of Rector Place and the Hudson River Esplanade. Built of Steel, bronze, and granite, and rising 50 feet high, the gateway draws its inspiration both from past
-
Sitting Stance
- Artist: Richard Artschwager Granite, steel & wood
Artschwager’s installation consists of five separate pieces situated at the junction of West Thames Street and the Esplanade. At the center is a street lamp shrunken to squat proportions, surrounded by a wooden armature imitating its crown and girded by an upraised circular bench and table. A second circular seating
-
South Cove
- Artist: Mary Miss Natural plantings, metal & rock
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – South Cove (with Mary Miss)
South Cove is an unusual, meditative recess along the waterfront. Considered one of the country’s most significant public artworks, the work is the result of a unique collaboration between environmental artist Mary Miss, architect Stanton Eckstut
-
Ape & Cat (At the Dance)
- Artist: Jim Dine Bronze & wood
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Ape & Cat (At the Dance) (with Jim Dine)
Although they do not have human features, Jim Dine’s Ape & Cat (At the Dance) exude the sort of civility and tenderness to which many urbanites aspire. Made of cast bronze, the figures are
-
Eyes
- Artist: Louise Bourgeois Granite
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Eyes
Eyes marks a departure for the artist in that the subject, unlike previous treatments, is explored as two large units representing eyes separated from any suggested surrounding physiognomy. Resting directly on the ground a calculated distance from each other, they
-
Resonating Bodies
- Artist: Tony Cragg Bronze
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Resonating Bodies (with Tony Cragg)
Created by British artist Tony Cragg, Resonating Bodies consists of a pair of bronze sculptures resembling giant musical instruments. One resembles a lute, the other, a tuba. This playful work is based on the concept that all physical
-
Ulysses
- Artist: Ugo Attardi Bronze on marble base
Ugo Attardi’s Ulysses, a figure of warmth and energy is defined by the artist as II Modern Baroque. The body, fierce with beauty and Hellenic elegance is united to, and contrasted with, the helmet-mask, which hides and reveals weakness and complexity in the face of the warrior-hero. The dark mask,
-
JUSTICE REFLECTED
- Artist: James Yaya Hough Glass and mirror
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Justice Reflected (with James Yaya Hough)
Created in partnership with the Art for Justice Fund and the Battery Park City Authority.
Read more in Hyperallergic: NYC Unveils Stained-Glass Works by Formerly Incarcerated Artist
James Yaya Hough has
-
GEOLOGIC SECTIONS
- Artist: Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil Bluestone
Within Teardrop Park’s winding paths, up the hillside slopes, under tree canopies and near play areas, visitors encounter subtle and powerful art by Ann Hamilton and Michael Mercil. Integrated into the surface of the landscape are four dramatic rock formations, Geologic Sections, that were composed by the artists “to reveal
-
Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution)
- Artists: Autumn Ewalt and Dharmesh Patel Aluminum and glass
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution) (with Autumn Ewalt)
Sunrise, Sunset (Revolution) originally consisted of nine triptychs of graduated heights that appear to rise and fall like abstract mountains, and correspond to the Sun’s path from east to west horizons. Three thousand prisms, installed
-
The Real World
- Artist: Tom Otterness Bronze
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – The Real World (with Tom Otterness)
Taking over its corner of the park with gleeful abandon, Tom Otterness’s whimsical sculptural installation entitled The Real World is one of New York’s most popular public artworks. Cast in bronze, the sculptures feature Otterness’s
-
Pavilion
- Artist: Demetri Porphyrios Granite, wood, brick & copper
Rising from the scenic lawns of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, below the junction of River Terrace and Warren Street, The Pavilion occupies a unique position in the landscape, as if negotiating a common ground between the greensward and the city beyond. Because the structure has no walls, both the
-
Pylons
- Artist: Martin Puryear Granite & stainless steel
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Pylons
Martin Puryear’s stately Pylons rise along the waterfront of the Belvedere, framing the sightlines of the Winter Garden. Both columns are made from stainless steel and are composed from six segments. In their contours they are a study in opposites.
-
Waterfront Plaza
- Artists: Siah Armajani & Scott Burton Bronze & steel
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Waterfront Plaza on BPCA’s YouTube Channel.
As the first major public waterfront plaza built on the Hudson River, the Plaza was commissioned by the Battery Park City Authority as part of its public art program, and was conceived as a multi-purpose space, providing
-
Upper Room
- Artist: Ned Smyth Concrete, glass, gravel & bluestone
Designed by Ned Smyth, Upper Room is a handsome colonnaded court marking the entrance to the Esplanade at Albany Street. At once dignified and playful, reverent and inviting, this self-contained sculptural environment suggests a contemporary reimagining of an ancient Egyptian temple offering stylized sanctuary from the surrounding city even as
-
Rector Gate
- Artist: R.M. Fischer Stainless steel, bronze, granite
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Rector Gate (with R.M. Fischer)
R.M. Fischer’s Rector Gate is a festive archway marking the intersection of Rector Place and the Hudson River Esplanade. Built of Steel, bronze, and granite, and rising 50 feet high, the gateway draws its inspiration both from past
-
Sitting Stance
- Artist: Richard Artschwager Granite, steel & wood
Artschwager’s installation consists of five separate pieces situated at the junction of West Thames Street and the Esplanade. At the center is a street lamp shrunken to squat proportions, surrounded by a wooden armature imitating its crown and girded by an upraised circular bench and table. A second circular seating
-
South Cove
- Artist: Mary Miss Natural plantings, metal & rock
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – South Cove (with Mary Miss)
South Cove is an unusual, meditative recess along the waterfront. Considered one of the country’s most significant public artworks, the work is the result of a unique collaboration between environmental artist Mary Miss, architect Stanton Eckstut
-
Ape & Cat (At the Dance)
- Artist: Jim Dine Bronze & wood
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Ape & Cat (At the Dance) (with Jim Dine)
Although they do not have human features, Jim Dine’s Ape & Cat (At the Dance) exude the sort of civility and tenderness to which many urbanites aspire. Made of cast bronze, the figures are
-
Eyes
- Artist: Louise Bourgeois Granite
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – Eyes
Eyes marks a departure for the artist in that the subject, unlike previous treatments, is explored as two large units representing eyes separated from any suggested surrounding physiognomy. Resting directly on the ground a calculated distance from each other, they
-
Resonating Bodies
- Artist: Tony Cragg Bronze
WATCH: Public Art on Video – Resonating Bodies (with Tony Cragg)
Created by British artist Tony Cragg, Resonating Bodies consists of a pair of bronze sculptures resembling giant musical instruments. One resembles a lute, the other, a tuba. This playful work is based on the concept that all physical
-
Ulysses
- Artist: Ugo Attardi Bronze on marble base
Ugo Attardi’s Ulysses, a figure of warmth and energy is defined by the artist as II Modern Baroque. The body, fierce with beauty and Hellenic elegance is united to, and contrasted with, the helmet-mask, which hides and reveals weakness and complexity in the face of the warrior-hero. The dark mask,
Past/Temporary Art
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Blessing of the Boats: River to River
- Artist: Muna Malik
Artist Muna Malik’s Blessing of the Boats, a 20-foot, mirrored acrylic origami-style boat into which each participant would place a folded origami onto which they had responded to the following prompt: We have an opportunity to set sail toward a new future; what society would you build and how do
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THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT PASS FOR ANY COLOR THAN ITS OWN
- Artist: Mildred Howard Painted automotive steel and laminated glass
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – The House That Will Not Pass For Any Color Than Its Own (with Mildred Howard)
The notion of home and its meanings has been an ongoing investigation in Mildred Howard’s art for decades. The California-based artist’s prints, sculpture and mixed media
-
Wheatfield, A Confrontation
- Artist: Agnes Denes
In 1982, Agnes Denes planted a two-acre field of golden wheat on a segment of the Battery Park City landfill as a powerful paradoxical statement, drawing attention to issues of waste, world hunger, and ecological concerns. This public piece, along with the art show series “Art on the Beach” organized
-
Blessing of the Boats: River to River
- Artist: Muna Malik
Artist Muna Malik’s Blessing of the Boats, a 20-foot, mirrored acrylic origami-style boat into which each participant would place a folded origami onto which they had responded to the following prompt: We have an opportunity to set sail toward a new future; what society would you build and how do
-
THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT PASS FOR ANY COLOR THAN ITS OWN
- Artist: Mildred Howard Painted automotive steel and laminated glass
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – The House That Will Not Pass For Any Color Than Its Own (with Mildred Howard)
The notion of home and its meanings has been an ongoing investigation in Mildred Howard’s art for decades. The California-based artist’s prints, sculpture and mixed media
-
Wheatfield, A Confrontation
- Artist: Agnes Denes
In 1982, Agnes Denes planted a two-acre field of golden wheat on a segment of the Battery Park City landfill as a powerful paradoxical statement, drawing attention to issues of waste, world hunger, and ecological concerns. This public piece, along with the art show series “Art on the Beach” organized
-
Blessing of the Boats: River to River
- Artist: Muna Malik
Artist Muna Malik’s Blessing of the Boats, a 20-foot, mirrored acrylic origami-style boat into which each participant would place a folded origami onto which they had responded to the following prompt: We have an opportunity to set sail toward a new future; what society would you build and how do
-
THE HOUSE THAT WILL NOT PASS FOR ANY COLOR THAN ITS OWN
- Artist: Mildred Howard Painted automotive steel and laminated glass
WATCH: BPCA Presents: Public Art on Video – The House That Will Not Pass For Any Color Than Its Own (with Mildred Howard)
The notion of home and its meanings has been an ongoing investigation in Mildred Howard’s art for decades. The California-based artist’s prints, sculpture and mixed media
-
Wheatfield, A Confrontation
- Artist: Agnes Denes
In 1982, Agnes Denes planted a two-acre field of golden wheat on a segment of the Battery Park City landfill as a powerful paradoxical statement, drawing attention to issues of waste, world hunger, and ecological concerns. This public piece, along with the art show series “Art on the Beach” organized