Art at the World Trade Center: WhIsBe
The Port Authority is hosting a yearlong installation of the contemporary artist WhIsBe between the Oculus and 3 World Trade Center, with six monumental sculptures collectively titled “Rewind.” They are just the best and worth a stroll over.
The series was inspired by childhood — hence the massive gummy bear, rocket ship and dinosaur — executed in steel and ranging from 6 to 16 feet in height. The Vandal Gummy Bear is the artist’s trademark (its holding a booking board from the city’s Department of Corrections) — he was commissioned to install one in the lobby of 4 WTC in 2017.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to create something at this scale, especially in my home city and at a site as iconic as the World Trade Center,” said WhIsBe, whose name is a portmanteau of the phrase “What is Beauty.” “This body of work represents years of evolution — from concept to creation — and the countless hours that go into turning imagination into form. The process pushed me both technically and emotionally, and standing here now feels like proof that with persistence and purpose, dreams can quite literally take shape in the city that never stops challenging and inspiring you.”
The 10-foot rocket WASA symbolizes the drive and ambition associated with New York City; the 15-foot-long T Rex nods to childhood visits to the American Museum of Natural History; the 5-foot-tall robot Spark was created with a missing heart as a reference to the globally known I NY iconography; and the rainbow-colored NYC building blocks celebrate the city’s spirit of inclusivity and diversity.
The artist — he is anonymous — plans to host events surrounding the sculptures in the new year.
