A bronze statue inspired by African religious art was unveiled in New York’s Rockefeller Center on May 5 as part of the artist’s “Chimera series.”
Harlem-based artist Sanford Biggers created “Oracle,” a 25-foot-tall, 15,000-pound bronze statue in partnership with the Marianne Boesky Gallery. It is presented on behalf of the Art Production Fund and Rockefeller Center, according to a press release from the Art Production Fund.
The Sanford Biggers exhibition is now live! With a 15,280 pound sculpture, murals, paintings and elaborate quilts— it is the largest compilation of art by a single artist ever displayed on our campus.
It will be on view until June 29. https://t.co/qkcW6aEW2b pic.twitter.com/ssTZDSThy6
— Rockefeller Center (@rockcenternyc) May 5, 2021
The statue merges African and Greek culture. The mask is derived from African cultures, including the Luba and Maasi, while the seated body is derived from the ancient Temple of Zeus, according to Artnet News.
Biggers told Artnet News, “the quilts have a craft background, but so do small African masks and figurative pieces—and when blown up to a monumental scale, it has a different dialogue with the history of public sculpture.”
“So you have a white-washed version of the European objects and a black-washed version of the African objects,” Biggers said. “Editing, cutting and pasting, chopping and screwing has been happening the entire time.” (RELATED: Jesus Statue Found Beheaded Outside Catholic Church In Miami, Diocese Expects Hate Crime Investigation)
The statue will be available to visitors until June 29. An interactive component will be made available in the coming weeks where visitors can scan a QR code and ask the “oracle” a question.
Biggers said the statue would be voiced by “various celebrities.” “They’ll respond as an oracle would,” he said, “in mysterious, poetic vagaries which will hopefully be, if not helpful, at least mystifying.”
“To open right now, as the city is starting to open up and the weather is getting nice, and to leave this as a gift in the city I live in is an extreme honor,” the artist concluded.