Antony Gormley:making New Yorkers look up

One of the first things I was told when I moved to Manhattan was that real New Yorkers never look up. Antony Gormley has cleverly turned that idea on its head in Event Horizon, his first public art project in New York.  He has dotted 31 sculptures of himself both on the grounds, but also the rooftops, surrounding  Madison Square Park and the Flatiron district, some of which are shown in the slideshow below:

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Antony Gormley in New York

One of my favourite British artists, Antony Gormley, is having his first public art project in New York – Event Horizon – which looks amazing judging by this photo in the New York Times. Unfortunately it doesn’t start until next week and patience has never been my strong point.

The concept is similiar to what Gormley did in London in 2007 when he dotted statues around the South Bank of the Thames.

What I love about Gormley is how he challenges our notion of art. I was lucky enough to be in London last summer for part of One & Other when he invited ordinary people to become living statues on the vacant fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. Gormley chose 2,400 plinthers at random, from 35,000 applicants, to fill the space  for 24 hours a day, for 100 days.

I  was part of a lively crowd watching a poetry reading but the plinthers also used their one hour to publicise charities, look for jobs, and even go nude.

Given that New Yorkers are far less reserved than Brits, it will be interesting to see their reaction to Gormley’s work. I wish he had also asked them to be living sculptures – but can hold out hope that one day he will.

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