Even if you work in the Time Warner Center, you've never seen Columbus Circle as New Yorkers will this autumn, thanks to Tatzu Nishi's latest exhibition.
The Japanese artist, known for his elevated 'rooms' that allow visitors to connect face-to-face with historical monuments, has transformed the space around the iconic Columbus statue into a contemporary living room.
Mounted upon an obelisk at a height of 20m, 'Discovering Columbus' is a loft-style lounge with huge windows onto Central Park and the bustle of midtown - views that Columbus would surely boast about if he were still with us. But it's rather the prospect of entrée to the forever inaccessible 120-year-old marble statue that is the highlight. (Columbus has been given a good scrub for the occasion.)
Few artists have managed to marry architecture and interior design with spectacle and guerrilla-style goodwill quite like Nishi, who recently dismantled his successful pop-up Hotel Gent [sic], a guest suite crafted around the 100-year-old clock tower at Ghent's Sint-Pieters train station. Like in Ghent, New Yorkers keen to witness Nishi's 'spatial encounter' have to climb six flights of scaffolding to the floating room, where the artist has installed all the mod cons of the midtown apartment, including his own bespoke 'American pop culture' wallpaper.
The environment he creates in effect contemporises the marble relic, which appears remarkably in synch within a modern context. Alas, like most publicly funded outdoor art exhibitions, it'll close in November, before the harsh winter climate dampens the New Yorkers' enthusiasm for exploration.
This photograph of the under-construction artwork shows the 20m base on to which the room is mounted for a close encounter with Columbus
courtesy Public Art Fund, NY
Few artists have managed to marry architecture and interior design with spectacle and guerrilla-style goodwill quite like Tatzu Nishi
courtesy Public Art Fund, NY
The room has large windows onto the city, but it's the prospect of greeting the 120-year-old marble statue face to face that is the highlight
courtesy Public Art Fund, NY
Nishi has installed all the mod cons of the New York apartment: a sofa, coffee table, TV...
courtesy Public Art Fund, NY
...and his own bespoke ‘American pop culture’ wallpaper
courtesy Public Art Fund, NY
Visitors climb six flights up scaffolding to access the room
courtesy Public Art Fund, NY
The sculpture was cleaned up for the event
courtesy Public Art Fund, NY
Tatzu Nishi's previous public artwork, 'Hotel Gent', in Belgium has only just been dismantled
He constructed a suite around the clock tower at Ghent's Sint-Pieters train station
The 100-year-old clock tower became part of the furniture in the 'guest room'
It was restored for the occasion, along with the rest of the station
Nishi spelt out his alias, 'Tazu Rous', in mosaic on the bathroom floor
The pop-up lasted for several few months
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