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New York City is getting a 16-foot-tall pigeon statue.
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Dinosaur, a gigantic but realistic statue of a pigeon, will tower over NYC residents from the celebrated High Line Plinth at the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street. The title references both the sheer scale of the piece and the humble pigeon’s ancient ancestors.
Iván Argote, a Columbian mixed-media artist based in Paris, created the large statue to create “uncanny” feelings of attraction, seduction, and fear in those viewing it. While pigeons are an everyday sight in NYC, the artist reframes the oft-maligned animals with perspective.
“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,” explained Argote in a statement.
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Dinosaur will ‘add great wit’ to NYC’s skyline
Argote’s Dinosaur is the fourth commission for the ongoing Plinth program, which was launched in 2019 at the edge of the High Line, a public park built into a historic freight train line running over the top of Manhattan’s West Side.
When initially proposed by Argote four years ago, Dinosaur proved polarizing amongst New Yorkers. Many reported strong feelings of either affection or disgust for pigeons, one of the most iconic and ubiquitous forms of urban wildlife both in NYC and beyond.
“Dinosaur will add great wit to the skyline of New York,” said Cecilia Alemani, Junior Director and Chief Curator of High Line Art. “Iván has a charming ability as an artist to take something familiar and make us consider it anew in profound ways. His sculpture for the High Line Plinth adds a critical yet funny perspective to the ongoing dialogue of public art.”
Dinosaur will launch in October 2024 and run until Spring 2026. Find out more here.
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