What to Know
- A massive pigeon sculpture by a Colombian artist is set to land at the High Line Plinth this fall.
- "Dinosaur," the name of Iván Argote’s gigantic, hyper-realistic 16-foot aluminum sculpture, will be installed on the High Line over the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street in October. It will be on display for 18 months.
- Argote, who was born in 1983, is the youngest Plinth artist and the first from the global south. As an artist and filmmaker, Argote focuses on social justice issues and history. He is inspired by his childhood in Bogotá, Colombia, where his family has been social and political activists since the 1950s.
It will surely be a "coo-l" site!
A massive pigeon sculpture by a Colombian artist is set to land at the High Line Plinth this fall.
"Dinosaur," the name of Iván Argote’s gigantic, hyper-realistic 16-foot aluminum sculpture, will be installed on the High Line over the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street in October. It will be on display for 18 months.
The sculpture will rest on a concrete pedestal that will resemble the sidewalks and buildings on which city pigeons perch on. The colossal nature of the sculpture, the High Line Art organizers said, represents a reversal in the power dynamic between humans and birds.
“The name "Dinosaur" makes reference to the sculpture’s scale and to the pigeon’s ancestors who millions of years ago dominated the globe, as we humans do today,” said Argote. “The name also serves as reference to the dinosaur’s extinction. Like them, one day we won’t be around any more, but perhaps a remnant of humanity will live on — as pigeons do — in the dark corners and gaps of future worlds. I feel this sculpture could generate an uncanny feeling of attraction, seduction, and fear among the inhabitants of New York.”
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"Dinosaur" is the fourth commission of the ongoing Plinth program, which highlights public art in New York City. It will follow the likes of: Simone Leigh’s "Brick House" (2019), Sam Durant’s "Untitled (drone)" (2021), and Pamela Rosenkranz’s "Old Tree" (2023). "Dinosaur" was first submitted among 80 proposals for the High Line Plinth in 2020. According to the High Line, it proved polarizing since its submission "receiving a great number of responses, with many New Yorkers remarking on their strong feelings of affection for or disgust of the iconic and ubiquitous urban wildlife."
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“Iván Argote’s monumental pigeon on the High Line Plinth demonstrates the power of art as storyteller and equalizer, giving New Yorkers and visitors alike unexpected insights and a common language of joy,” said Alan van Capelle, executive director of Friends of the High Line. “The connections and conversations across cultures, affiliations, and backgrounds that public art inspires are among the High Line’s most important offerings.”
Founded in 2009, High Line Art commissions artworks for display on the High Line, a historic elevated rail line turned park.
Argote, who was born in 1983, is the youngest Plinth artist and the first from the global south. As an artist and filmmaker, Argote focuses on social justice issues and history. He is inspired by his childhood in Bogotá, Colombia, where his family has been social and political activists since the 1950s.
Argote's work has been exhibited across the world, including in his native Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Argentina, Italy, Ecuador, and various states within the United States.
