This fall, visitors will have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Christopher Columbus statue in New York City like never before. Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi in collaboration with the Public Art Fund, will be presenting the installation Discovering Columbus. This installation recontextualizes the monument in Columbus Circle by placing it in a modern-day living room, which will be six stories above the street. The idea is to reshape visitors perceptions giving them the incredible views of Central Park and Midtown, once only seen from Columbus’s perspective.
According to Nicholas Baume, the Public Art Fund’s Director and Chief Curator, the idea for the installation came after Tatzu’s first visit to New York City, “he became fascinated with the statue. He realized that despite its central location, the Columbus statue is barely visible, a solitary figure hiding in plain site atop a column some 70 feet in the air. Tatzu felt it was time to give Columbus an apartment of his own, with Central Park views, and to throw an open house to which all of New York City is invited.”
Discovering Columbus opens September 20th until November 18th. The installation is free to visit but requires reservations in advance. For more information, visit the Public Art Fund’s website here.