A striking new sculpture will soon pop up on the High Line, and it’s definitely expected to grab the attention of passersby.
The sculpture, which is titled Old Tree looks like something out of a story book. Standing 25-feet-tall, man-made materials come together to form a strikingly red and pink tree that resembles the branching systems of the human body, including human organs, blood vessels, and tissue. The use of man-made materials is intended to raise questions about what is truly “artificial” or “natural” in our world.
The sculpture is created by acclaimed Swiss artist Pamela Rosenkranz. It invites viewers to consider the connection between our own lives and the plants around us as well as contemplate human evolution and a world where the synthetic has become nature.
Pamela Rosenkranz lives and works in Zürich, Switzerland. Beyond New York her work is featured in the collections of major institutions around the world, including K11 Art Foundation, Hong Kong, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois, and Museum für Moderne Kunst, Frankfurt, Germany.
Old Tree is the third High Line Plinth commission, and provides New Yorkers and tourists alike with a social space, creating shade while “casting an ever-changing, luminous aura amid New York’s changing seasons.”
The sculpture will open on Monday, May 8, and be on display through September 2024. It will overlook 10th Avenue and West 30th Street.
Enter at the NW or SE staircase (or the elevator midblock on 30th Street) and see how Old Tree’s color palette makes for a gorgeous contrast against the city’s otherwise muted-colored buildings.
You can learn more about Old Tree here and view other gorgeous outdoor installations around NYC here.