NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A new outdoor sculpture, garden and performance series known as “Love-Ego=LOV” by artist Pasha Radetzki was installed in Union Square Park on Wednesday and will be in place for six months in creation of a public art venue, the Union Square Partnership and NYC Parks announced together.
The sculpture stands nearly eight feet tall and 21 feet wide and features three free-standing, interlocked letters made of colored plywood that spell out “LOV.”
Radetzki was inspired in his sculpting by egoless love, unity and the interdependence of life while placed in the context of a volatile social moment.
The project invites the audience to strike an “E” pose to the right of the sculpture to complete the word “LOVE” and represent either themselves or their ego.
“Creating ‘Love-Ego=LOV’ has been a deeply personal exploration of unity in the lively tapestry of our urban NYC environment,” said Radetzki, a Manhattan-based visual and performance artist. “This project represents my journey as an artist and a first-generation American to find connection and collaboration in my new home.”
The display also features a miniature garden called “Three Sisters-Americas,” inspired by “Abya Yala,” an indigenous neologism referring to the American continent. It features plants native to Central, North and South Americas.
The season's first garden performance was held on Wednesday, and the next will be on June 20. Summer programming will be hosted at the site on Thursdays in June and July and will be announced on Radetzki’s Instagram account.
“We are proud to support artists expressing their visions and important messages with Union Square’s live-work-play-learn community,” Executive director of Union Square Partnership Julie Stein said. “Public art is an essential part of Union Square’s identity, and Pasha’s artwork will be on display in a unique setting under the park’s tree canopy and close to public seating for optimal viewing.
NYC Parks’ Art in the Parks program has brought contemporary public art to the city’s parks since 1967. Through collaboration with arts organizations and artists the programs have produced more than 3,000 public artworks.
For more information visit unionsquarenyc.org.