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For an introduction, here's some text taken from the website for the exhibit: For Tatzu Nishi's first public project in the United States, Nishi chose to focus on the historic statue of Christopher Columbus standing in Columbus Circle. The marble statue, which rises to more than 75 feet atop a granite column, was designed by the Italian sculptor Gaetano Russo. It was unveiled in 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage to the Americas. Despite its prominent public location, the statue itself is little known, visible only as a silhouette against the sky or at a distance from surrounding buildings. Nishi's project re-imagines the colossal 13-foot-tall statue of Columbus standing in a fully furnished, modern living room. Featuring tables, chairs, couch, rug, and flat-screen television, the décor reflects the artist’s interpretation of contemporary New York style.
The exhibition is contained in a box which sits atop a scaffolding erected around the monument.
I think if you're handicapped, you can get brought up in the lift, but the usual and customary approach is to climb the stairs (on the right side of the picture).
As with almost every goddamned thing in NY worth seeing, there's a crowd and you have to wait in line. Grumble, grumble.
However, waiting in line does give one a chance to enjoy the lovely fountains that now ring Columbus Circle. Do you all remember how awful it was in 90s?
The base of the column through the scaffolding.
As you climb the stairs, you can see the column in its cage.
It was at this point in the ascent that my vertigo began to kick in and I had to grip the railings tightly.
Looking north up Broadway from the landing outside Columbus' front door.
Looking north up Central Park West.
The entryway, which, I have to admit, seemed very typical of a NY apartment building.
You walk in, and, ohmygod, there he is! It was a lot more dramatic than I expected.
Profile, sort of.
Looking all nautical and stuff from the back.
The artist definitely did a great job at creating the feeling you were hanging out in someone's living room.
You know, except for the 15 foot high marble guy standing on the coffee table.
Complete with nonsensical CNN drivel oozing from a flat-screen in the corner.
From this angle, it almost looks like Chris' tiller-rudder thingy is a remote control. However, it is indisputable that, if he was holding a remote, he would have clicked off CNN and put on something worth watching like drag racing or reruns of Gilligan's Island.
Almost like a cocktail party, except with more phone-camera photos and a lot less NY posturing and bloviating.
Oh yeah, and with security. Lay a hand on the statue and this guy will toss you right off the landing. Splat!
There was serious attention to living room details. That is today's paper.
A few more views before I headed downstairs: looking south down Eighth Avenue.
Looking east across Central Park South.
Maine Monument and Merchants' Gate.
Posted 16-Oct-2012 by James Spier
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