Famed Horse Sculptures Removed At Upper West Side Housing Complex

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — For the first time since their creation in 1964, "Nivola's Horses" no longer stand in a sculpture garden at the Wise Towers New York City Housing Authority complex on the Upper West Side.

The group of concrete horses created by the modernist Costantino Nivola was removed recently without public notice by a construction crew at the NYCHA complex at West 90th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus.

All that remains left are the stumps of the 18 horses' legs.

Here is what the horse sculptures looked like before the removal.

This is what the area looked like after the removal.

"It looks like the (removal) work was not with the proper care necessary for works of art in the public realm," Michelle Bogart of Stony Brook University told Patch. "It's unclear whether a conservator was either consulted or on hand for the removal."

Bogart, an Upper West Side native, added that Nivola was both unique and underappreciated by many for his "aesthetic, institutional, and urban point of view."

"Nivola contributed notably to the municipal-built environment of New York City from the late 1950s into the 1970s. His quirky sculptures and reliefs were included in the design of public schools, public housing projects, and represent the outcome of a successful collaborative process," Bogart said.

In a statement to The New York Times, the NYCHA said that the horse statues are being stored at the Wise Towers and that their removal was due to a water main problem. A spokesperson from the housing authority also told The Times that Nivola's work "will be restored and highlighted."

The Reaction

Reaction has been strong to the sudden removal of "Nivola's Horses" across social media and among the arts community.

"Beyond words. NYC historic fabric is being destroyed at an alarming rate," Docomomo US, an architecture and design preservation organization, wrote on Twitter about the situation.

"Deeply saddening," tweeted architecture critic Paul Goldberger. "There are demolitions done out of ignorance and demolitions done out of greed, and the fact that this is the former category doesn't make it any more acceptable."

On Wednesday, the director of the Nivola Museum in Sardinia, Italy, called the removal a "destruction of Nivola's work."

More Information About Nivola And The Horses

The Upper West Side nonprofit Landmark West, which works to achieve landmark status for local buildings and art, had a page dedicated to Nivola and his horses.

Nivola first arrived in New York in 1939 after fleeing Paris during World War II. He quickly became one of the more well-known sculptors in the area and created works for the city from 1950 until his death in 1988.

The Stephen Wise Towers NYCHA complex was built on the Upper West Side in 1965. The horse sculptures done by Nivola were placed in the plaza between the two building and were financed by a grant of $30,000 from the J.M. Kaplan Fund.

You can find out more information here.