The craziness of Times Square has stepped up a notch with the arrival of a colorful new artwork. Argentinian artist Marta Minujín’s Sculpture of Dreams is a massive, 30-foot tall inflatable that fits in just fine at the Crossroads of the World.
“Minujíin is more Times Square than Times Square itself — in place, spirit, style, and artistic practice, she brings a new element of playfulness, color, and discovery to America’s busiest plaza,” said Times Square Arts Director Jean Cooney.
The 80-year-old artist has played a major role in the Latin American art scene throughout her six-decade career. She’s collaborated with both Andy Warhol and Christo, and has been a defining force in Pop and conceptual art. She’s staged happenings and performances with horses, motorcycles and chickens; made sculptures out of cheese, panettone and giant towers of banned books; and she once proposed making a giant Statue of Liberty out of McDonald’s hamburgers.
Minujín calls Sculpture of Dreams an “anti-sculpture” in a playful reference to the inflatable’s subversive materiality: edgeless, soft, quite literally full of air. It is designed to be interactive and prompts visitors to whisper their hopes and dreams into the cavernous interior before exiting. The piece will be on show until November 21 at Duffy Square, between Broadway and 46th.