Giant pigeon to perch atop New York City’s High Line

A new 16-foot-tall sculpture of a pigeon, titled "Dinosaur," is set to grace the High Line elevated park in New York City. Created by Bogotá-born, Paris-based artist Iván Argote, the hyper-realistic aluminum piece will be installed atop a prominent plinth along Tenth Avenue. Argote explains that the name "Dinosaur" reflects both the sculpture's size and the historical significance of pigeons, whose ancestors once dominated the Earth, paralleling humanity's current dominance. Pigeons, often seen as urban nuisances, are not native to New York; they were introduced by European settlers in the 17th century. Today, the city's pigeon population is estimated to exceed its human population, with around nine million birds cohabiting with nearly eight million residents. Argote's work aims to provoke a complex emotional response, blending attraction, seduction, and fear, while also critiquing traditional public art. The installation of "Dinosaur" continues a trend of unconventional public art on the High Line, following previous commissions by artists Pamela Rosenkranz, Simone Leigh, and Sam Durant. Argote's artistic practice often engages with themes of monumentality and the critique of historical figures, as seen in his past works that document the removal of colonial statues. The pigeon sculpture will be unveiled next month and will remain on display for 18 months, inviting New Yorkers to reconsider their relationship with this ubiquitous urban bird.