These trippy sculptures of people in Manhattan will make you do a double take
When strolling New York City’s sidewalks, there are plenty of moments that necessitate a double take: Wait, was that the guy my friend was dating? Ooh, look at that woman’s incredible shoes. Is that a celeb? Whoa, what is that person yelling about?
In this case, though, it’s not people themselves commanding attention. Instead, it’s statues of people who are torn apart and frozen in time. “Travelers” is a series of figurative sculptures by renowned artist Bruno Catalano, and they definitely deserve a look—and a second or third look, too. Find them in Murray Hill along Park Avenue between 34th and 38th streets.
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Each sculpture depicts a person who looks like they’re stalled mid-step, perhaps caught between the past and the present. Their bodies are broken apart at the torso, evoking the scars, complex identities, shadowy areas of each person’s self-image. Though the sculptures are depicted in motion, we don’t know where they started and where they’re going. Each one—like all of us—carries their baggage with them.
One depicts a man in blue jeans with a bronzed torso. Another shows a man in loafers carrying a briefcase. Yet another features someone in casual dress in the shadow of the Empire State Building.
“In his work, people from the ordinary world take on a heroic stature. Their monumental scale pays homage to these universal experiences of travel, flight, and exile,” Jon Harari, co-chairman of Patrons of Park Avenue wrote in a post announcing the series. “These individuals carry pieces of life and history in their luggage. Their future is inextricably linked to their roots, keeping them in a precarious balance.”
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This installation is the first major public exhibition of Bruno Catalano’s work in the United States. The Moroccan-born, French-raised artist initially studied electricity, then worked on boats. Eventually, he dedicated himself to clay as a self-taught artist. Since then, his works have toured the world, including a stop at Piazza San Marco for the Venice Biennale.
Art lovers can thank Patrons of Park Avenue, a division of the Murray Hill Neighborhood Association, for bringing the powerful and awe-inspiring sculptures to New York City. The exhibition even includes never-before-seen bronze and marble pieces.
All are invited to meet Catalano at the Park Avenue Day 2024 street festival on Saturday, May 18, from 10am-5pm. The festival celebrates the artist’s first major public outdoor exhibition in the U.S. Expect artists, entertainers, food, fashion, shopping, and more on Park Avenue between 34th and 40th Streets.
These “Travelers” will be turning heads in New York City for quite a while. See them in Murray Hill now through May 2025.
