This 16-Foot-Tall Pigeon Sculpture Is Coming to New York City’s High Line

A looming sculpture of a pigeon will be arriving on New York’s High Line Plinth in the fall. While humans typically tower over the city’s winged residents, the new 16-foot-tall artwork—titled Dinosaur—will make the viewer feel small.

“I feel this sculpture could generate an uncanny feeling of attraction, seduction and fear among the inhabitants of New York,” says Iván Argote, the artist who created the piece, in a statement.

Beginning in October, Dinosaur will spend 18 months on the High Line Plinth, located above 10th Avenue and 30th Street. The celebrated spot is part of a contemporary art program that has been displaying sculptures in the heart of the city since 2019.

Although some passersby may find the new pigeon statue’s proportions striking, Argote has worked hard to make it appear realistic and familiar.

“I really want to have that feeling, like you know when sometimes you’re on your own for two seconds, or you’re having a sandwich in the street in between things, or just losing some time,” he tells Curbed’s Carl Swanson. “Then, you look down, and there’s a pigeon there. Then, you have this kind of look at each other. I really want people to have that feeling. It’s like, Ah, I’ve seen you, man. Here you are. Here you are.”

New York is no stranger to large animal artworks, such as the iconic sculpture of a charging bull on Wall Street or the marble lions outside the New York Public Library. However, pigeons—sometimes called the “rats of the sky”—don’t usually get such an exalted treatment. For Argote, that’s the point.

“Iván has a charming ability as an artist to take something familiar and make us consider it anew in profound ways,” says Cecilia Alemani, the director and chief curator of High Line Art, in the statement. “His sculpture for the High Line Plinth adds a critical yet funny perspective to the ongoing dialogue of public art.”

Argote says that the title Dinosaur refers not only to the statue’s size but also to the bird’s prehistoric ancestors. In more recent history, pigeons first moved to the Big Apple with European settlers, according to the Museum of the City of New York. With time, they learned to thrive in urban environments and became prized messengers who carried important communications.

“Pigeons are animals that trigger very deep reactions in New Yorkers,” Alemani tells Artnet’s Sarah Cascone. “There are people who completely love the community of pigeons and are obsessed, and then there are people who are literally disgusted and horrified by pigeons.”

The pigeon is an “icon of New York,” as Argote says in the statement; at the same time, it is also a “marginal creature, living in dirty corners.”

Dinosaur was originally one of 80 proposals submitted for the High Line Plinth in 2020. Argote will be the fourth artist to display his work in the public space, following Simone Leigh, Sam Durant and Pamela Rosenkranz.

Rosenkranz’ sculpture of a pink tree is currently on display at the Plinth, where it will remain until September. Then, it’s the pigeon’s turn. Argote hopes that drivers underneath the bridge won’t be too distracted by the strange sight.

“I hope it doesn’t cause any accidents,” he tells Curbed. “But when you’re driving, it really attracts your eye. You look up and are just like, ‘What?’”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.