Sculpture By Chinese Artist Coming To Park Avenue Median

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — An eye-catching sculpture by a prominent Chinese artist will be installed on the Park Avenue median next spring as part of a citywide exhibition by the Asia Society.

The sculpture "Eternity—Male Figure, Statue of Venus Genetrix," by artist Xu Zhen, will be in place from March 16 to June 27, 2021 on Park Avenue at East 70th Street, right across the street from the Asia Society Museum.

It will be one of more than 60 works by 40 artists displayed in venues across the city as part of the first-ever Asia Society Triennial, a major exhibition showcasing the works of Asian and Asian-American artists.

The sculpture's upper figure is an inverted replica of an 11th-century Cambodian figure that is part of the museum's esteemed Rockefeller Collection, while the bottom figure is a replica of a second-century Romanesque figure of a female form that belongs to the Getty collection.

The Park Avenue sculpture will be accompanied by other works already on view at the museum, also by Xu Zhen, who lives and works in Shanghai.

Michelle Yun, director of the museum and co-curator of the triennial, presented the work Thursday evening to Community Board 8's parks and waterfront committee.

Yun described Xu's work as "naughty" and "provocative," commenting on sociopolitical taboos in contemporary China.

Elizabeth Masella, a public art coordinator for the Parks Department, praised the installation at Thursday's meeting, noting that the department had only installed about 20 works of art this year, down from up to 60 in a typical year.

"Inherently, public art is great for social distancing," Masella noted.

The work was met with a warm reception from the board. Alida Camp, the CB8 board chair, thanked the museum "for bringing some sense of beauty and normalcy" to the neighborhood during a difficult year.

Originally planned to begin in June, the triennial has been reimagined and postponed, with the first phase beginning last month and the second phase starting next March, when the Park Avenue sculpture will be installed.

Most of the triennial exhibition will be held at the Asia Society Museum, with other venues including the New York Historical Society, Times Square and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center.

For more information about the Asia Society Triennial, visit asiasociety.org