Over the years Rockefeller Center has hosted a number of important art installations including Jeff Koons’ (b. 1955) hulking terrier puppy made out of 43 feet worth of flowering plants (2000); Louise Bourgeois’ (1911-2010) Maman and Spiders (2001), which featured the French artist’s famous arachnid creatures; and Takashi Murakami’s (b. 1963) Reversed Double Helix (2003, which included a 30-foot-tall Buddha-like figure, two giant floating balloons, and a forest of mushroom seating.
The impressive public art displays were an integral part of Rockefeller Center until the project was put on hold in 2008 due to the American economy’s dismal state. At the time, the owners of Rockefeller Center were working on a number of major interior restoration projects and felt that spending money on public art during such a stringent time was unwise.
As the economy and public morale slowly regain their footing, Rockefeller Center has decided to re-launch its public art project. With assistance from the Public Art Fund, the first installation will feature nine human-shaped sculptures by the Swiss-born, New York-based artist Ugo Rondinone (b. 1964). The sculptures stand between 16 and 20 feet tall and are made from bluestone that was excavated from a quarry in Pennsylvania. Much of the stone that makes up Rockefeller Center’s sidewalks came from the same region.
Rondinone’s Human Nature will be on view April 23 through June 7, 2013.
