Monumental Sculpture Takes Shape

Posted in Exhibitions on September 13 2012, by Matt Newman

We’re suckers for a good surprise (as long as we’re the ones behind it). But it’s a spot more difficult to keep the main event under wraps when it comes to exhibitions this impressive. Manolo Valdés casts a formidable shadow, sparing nothing to create some of the most striking–and colossal–visuals for our upcoming Monumental Sculpture exhibit; for the uninitiated, that’s our next major show here at the NYBG. And this week we jumped headlong into preparation for the September 22 opening.

All told, we couldn’t exactly sneak these sculptures into the Garden. Some of them, such as the Alhambra piece, weigh in at 40,000 pounds with spans reaching nearly 50 lateral feet; they’re not what you’d call statuettes. Arranging these monoliths has proven a spectacle in itself, drawing streams of visitors and employees alike, all snapping away with their cameras as we uncrate and maneuver massive heads and latticework by truck-mounted cranes. It’s a careful and dramatic process that we were able to capture a bit of in the last couple of days.

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It’s sort of like unwrapping presents, watching the growth of the sculptures as they’re knitted together from a collection of massive puzzle pieces. And this isn’t even all of them! At the end of setup, Monumental Sculpture will feature seven individual works sited throughout the Garden, from the Library Building lawn to the Conservatory. Visitors will then have the pleasure of watching these ornate works change with the seasons, complementing the colors of the fall foliage, moving through winter and into spring. Frankly, I can’t wait to see what comes of the next few weeks.

Manolo Valdés: Monumental Sculpture officially opens as of Saturday, September 22, but if you happen to see us arranging these works around the Garden, feel free to stop and stare. I’ve certainly been doing it.