Steinunn Thorarinsdottir’s BORDERS - Human Sculpture Exhibit Addressing Humanity And Cultural Diversity At Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza

Borders is a new public art installation in Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza in midtown Manhattan near the United Nations Headquarters. These are some of the images of the wonderful sculptures at the park by Steinunn Thórarinsdóttir.The installation features twenty-six androgynous, life-size sculptures, thirteen aluminum and thirteen cast iron, which extend throughout the park from First to Second Avenue on East 47th Street. BORDERS is the park’s largest exhibition to date and the first exhibition to incorporate the entire park. “Dag Hammarskjold Plaza is the gateway to the United Nations and a hub of international activity that serves thousands of people and hosts hundreds of political events each year,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “The new public art installation, BORDERS, will connect many diverse constituencies to new artistic experiences. It will foster conversation and provide a significant backdrop for daily events at this public space.” BORDERS was created specifically for Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza and directly responds to the park’s design and infrastructure, as well as the United Nations headquarters located at the eastern end of the park. Thórarinsdóttir’s figures, standing along the main park corridor and seated on park benches, mirror each other in silent conversation and form unseen borders that visitors are welcome to cross—serving as ambassadors between sculptures. The exhibition addresses humanity and cultural diversity, an exceptionally appropriate theme for one of the most culturally and politically active sites in all of New York City. The exhibition will run through September 30, 2011.