NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Now that's pretty coo! A massive, hyper-realistic pigeon will take over the High Line in Chelsea this fall as part of an art installation.
The 16-foot sculpture—created by Colombian artist Iván Argote and named “Dinosaur”—will be installed in October at West 30th Street and 10th Avenue, according to an announcement Wednesday from High Line Art.
The sculpture, which is cast in aluminum and hand-painted, will be on view for 18 months, organizers said.
In a statement, Argote, 40, said of his sculpture: “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.”
“The name also serves as reference to the dinosaur’s extinction,” Argote continued. “Like them, one day we won’t be around anymore, 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.”
According to organizers, the sculpture "reverses the typical power dynamic between bird and human, towering over the countless pedestrians and cars that will meander below its feet."
They said the sculpture "canonizes" New York's street birds, taking inspiration from the “oft-overlooked and derided creatures that seem to over-populate the city.” A press release notes that pigeons were once “celebrated as war heroes” during World Wars I and II for carrying messages on the frontlines, “before technology eventually rendered them obsolete.”
The artwork is also a nod to New York's rich history of immigration, organizers said, as pigeons originally migrated to the U.S. from Europe and made the city home, just like millions of people.
"Dinosaur" will actually stand at 21 feet, as it will sit on a 5-foot plinth that has displayed previous works commissioned by High Line Art, including Simone Leigh’s “Brick House” (2019), Sam Durant’s “Untitled (drone)” (2021), and Pamela Rosenkranz’s “Old Tree” (2023).