Revisiting The Mysterious Stones Along The Hudson In Wash Heights

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — In September 2017, the New York Times published a story that solved a growing mystery around the Washington Heights community, which revolved around the appearance of strange shoreline sculptures rising from the riverbank along the Hudson near West 168th Street.

The rock stacks had enchanted parkgoers during that summer, but nobody knew who was responsible for the creations.

A nearby sign identified the sculptures as "The Sisyphus Stones."

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was punished for cheating death by being forced to roll a gigantic boulder up a hill for it only to roll down every time he got close to the top.

The Times eventually found the man responsible for the enchanting rocks, self-taught artist Uliks Gryka, who started decorating the water's edge during bike rides along the Hudson River Greenway in Upper Manhattan.

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The Albanian-born artist told multiple publications at the time that the stones remind him of stories he heard as a child where rocks had previously been living creatures.

"I was observing faces in the stones that I was looking at—I convinced myself that I had to give them a chance of breathing," Gryka told Gothamist in 2018. "The only way I could allow them to breathe was to elevate them," he says as he hefts one stone upon another. "I am literally building a body. I gave them presence."

As the popularity of his rock sculptures grew, people began recreating their own versions of his Sysyphus Stones along the Hudson River. Unfortunately, he eventually was forced to take a break from the rock stacks after people continually knocked over and destroyed the structures.

In 2019, he vowed not to let the destruction dissuade him and continued to create his sculptures.

Recently, pictures of the rock stacks in Washington Heights have circulated on social media, with most people unsure of its history or the artist behind its creation.

The sign reading "The Sisyphus Stones" was also water damaged to the point of illegibility and at some point blew away on a Manhattan rainy night.

"Sort of Easter Island?" one Facebook user asked.

"I've always liked it but never knew the story," Washington Heights resident Estiven Rodriguez told Patch. "It a really beautiful part of the Washington Heights park. It complements the area really well, and it's a great place to have a small art installation."

Here's Gryka giving a full explanation for how the installation came to be.