Columbus statue - up, close and personal

Commissioned by the Public Art Fund, Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi had the brilliant idea of bringing Columbus Statue, situated on top of a 75 feet high pillar in the middle of Columbus Circle, closer to the public, through his new installation "Discovering Columbus".

How did he do that? Well, he imagined how it would feel to have the statue in the middle of a modern living room with one of Manhattan's most privileged views. So, after climbing 6 flights of stairs, you find yourself in a nice penthouse feeling living room, all build up around the statue, which is standing in the middle of a coffee table.

Not to be missed! And pay attention to each details in the living room. Even the books were strategically chosen. You may find funny titles as "The silent body" or "Look up". The wallpaper is also full of details and irony, depicting all the symbols that represent modern America.

The question that I kept arising in my head when I was up there was: who's discovering who? Did Columbus discover America or are we discovering Columbus (as the title of the exhibit suggests)?

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Other controversial exhibits worth seeing nearby:
Andrés Serrano's "Body and Spirit" at Edward Tyler Gallery
Sally Mann's "Upon reflections" at Edwynn Houk Gallery