I can only imagine how difficult it must be to capture the visual attention of people living in NYC. This is the birthplace of overstimulation where eye candy is as plentiful as Willy Wonka’s factory. However, when a 30-ft golden replica of Michelangelo's David goes touring through the city on a lowboy trailer people have to notice.
Conceptual artist Serkan Ozkaya originally made this particular David, which is double the size of Michelangelo's David, in 2005 for the 9th International Istanbul Biennial. Unfortunately, the sculpture collapsed shortly after installation and Ozkaya eventually made two additional copies. One remains in Ozkaya’s home country of Turkey and the other has been acquired by 21c Museum in Louisville, KY. The sculpture traveled around New York today providing plenty of photo ops for passer-bys who happened to be in the right place at the right time. This afternoon, it arrived in front of the Storefront for Art and Architecture building where an event of live manifestos is planned on the topic of Double by a group of distinguished panelists consisting of artists, architects, critics, historians and theorists. They will discuss the effects, desires and implications in the act of doubling, replicating or copying. The sculpture will be on view at this location until 9pm.
'David (inspired by Michelangelo)' rides through NYC.
Afterwards, David (inspired by Michelangelo) will make its journey to its permanent home at 21c Museum where it will no doubt raise some eyebrows.
Ozkaya and his work is no stranger to Louisville. In 2009, he recreated the front page of The Courier Journal as a drawing. This was the first art project for Louisville based non-profit artwithoutwalls, which was founded by 21c owners Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown.
Photos courtesy of 21c Museum Twitter feed @21chotels.
