New Sculpture at World Trade Center Evokes the Innocence of Childhood
Above: “XO World,” on the outdoor plaza of the World Trade Center, facing West Street. Below: “XO Play,” on exhibit inside the Oculus.
Lower Manhattan’s newest piece of monumental public art, “XO World,” stands 12 feet tall and 24 feet wide, and is located on the West Street side of One World Trade Center (near the corner of Vesey Street). The sculpture is comprised of more than 20,000 pounds of stainless steel, wrought into the shapes of a globe and a giant piece from the game of jacks.
“XO World” is inspired by jacks, which has a history dating back more than 2,000 years. The giant X evokes the game pieces (called jacks), which are thrown into the air and caught while bouncing a ball, which is evoked by the giant O, or sphere. XO World is meant to summon the innocence of childhood.
Because jacks was originally played with a talus bone (a part of the ankle) harvested from slaughtered animals (the same source from which the first dice were made), it also conjures the elements of risk, luck, and chance. Juxtaposed with the image of the Earth, “XO World” also implies that the continued existence of the world we take for granted relies in no small part on good fortune.
“XO World” is also paired with a companion piece, “XO Play,” located inside the nearby Oculus. The second sculpture depicts a group of multi-racial children engaged in the game of Jacks.
Artist Daniel Anderson reflects that, “as our society faces unprecedented challenges stemming from a global pandemic, economic recovery, racial inequity, and territorial conflicts, these two sculptures are intended to bring people together. My inspiration came from children and their open acceptance of others. A child’s mind and heart are free of prejudice regardless of race, gender, or religion, which we should all strive to emulate.”
Both pieces are part of a larger “XO World Project,” which aims to locate similarly uplifting pieces in Paris later this year, with more in the series slated for installation in London, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Dubai next year.
The “XO World Project” has also partnered with the charitable organization, Operation International Kids, which provides medical care for young people in need. Additional support for the New York City launch of “XO World” and “XO Play” has been provided by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and The Durst Organization (developer of One World Trade Center).
‘OK. Now Wire Me Some Money. :)’
Battery Park City Resident Indicted by Feds for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
A Battery Park City resident has been indicted by federal prosecutors for allegedly taking part in an elaborate, years-long scheme that defrauded Protegrity, a Connecticut-based data security firm at which his brother served as chief executive officer, of more than $6 million. On April 13, Suresh Munshani (who lives in Gateway Plaza) and Suni Munshani (who resides in Connecticut), were arrested by federal agents and charged with a complex scam that began with the brothers creating multiple front companies.
Famed Eatery May Be Evicted from FiDi Space It Has Occupied for 185 Years
A Downtown culinary landmark is facing eviction, a casualty of both the COVID pandemic and damage wrought by last September’s Hurricane Ida, along with a legal feud between its owners. In a story first reported by the online dining newsletter Eater, Delmonico’s, which opened in 1827 and moved to its current location at the corner of Beaver and South William Streets a decade later, is being sued by its landlord for more than $300,000 in back rent.
The Chinatown Ten Appear in Court Following Arrests at Anti-Jail Demonstration
The coalition of ten Lower Manhattan community leaders (including two candidates for public office) who were arrested on the morning of April 13 as they protested the start of demolition at the Manhattan Detention Complex (MDC)—in a preliminary move by the administration of Mayor Eric Adams to replace that facility with the world’s tallest jail—were due in court on Monday morning, to answer summonses for disorderly conduct. Their arrests stemmed from the decision of the group to engage in civil disobedience, by kneeling in the middle of Baxter Street to block construction vehicles from accessing the MDC site.
Plaque Unveiled to Mark Last Year’s Ticker Tape Parade for Essential Workers
Remember when we would lean out our windows at 7pm every day and cheer for the essential workers who were getting us through the pandemic? The new plaque on Broadway marks the 208th ticker tape parade, on July 7, 2021, that was a large-scale version of our appreciation. On that day, confetti rained down from office windows as floats and bands wound their way uptown from Bowling Green in tribute to the men and women whose jobs are critical to our daily lives.
At the unveiling of the new plaque (at 250 Broadway) on April 28, Mayor Eric Adams and Deputy Mayors Lorraine Grillo, Meera Joshi, Maria Torres-Springer, Anne Williams-Isom and Sheena Wright joined Downtown Alliance president Jessica Lappin and her staff, borough president Mark Levine and City Council member Christopher Marte to again praise essential workers.
MTA group station manager Cherry Wiltshire, U.S. Postal Service letter carrier Feliciano Rafael and Maureen Kreider, nurse practitioner at Con Edison’s Employee Wellness Center, expressed their thanks for the recognition, with Mr. Rafael adding a special shout-out to the children along his route who displayed drawings of gratitude at the height of the pandemic.
Ever Upward
Tribeca Loft Buildings to Share a Rooftop Addition
The owners of a pair of adjoining buildings within the Tribeca South Historic District plan to add two stories to top of the pre-Civil War structures, which requires approval from the City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). The buildings at 62-64 Reade Street (located on the north side of the street, between Broadway and Church Street) are typical of the loft-and-store structures that were common in the neighborhood throughout the nineteenth century.
I started reading your paper regularly last month and discovered something I have not been able to find online: The Arrivals and Departures section!!!
I have searched for a while to see if there was a schedule where I can find out when the cruise ships would be passing by the Colgate Clock and always came up empty.
I have lucked out and occasionally seen them quietly moving up the river in the evening. They are really stunning to see and I was so delighted to see you include that schedule in your paper!
My new Sunday routine is to read your Broadsheet perched on my window sill in the morning and catch up on everything happening in my neighborhood.
Therese Cruse
Aesthetic Outpost
New Arts Colony Emerges Half a Mile from Lower Manhattan Shoreline
Governors Island no longer has a “season,” in the sense that Lower Manhattan’s equivalent of Central Park is now open year-around. But spring, and the prospect of summer, are still the highpoint in the annual calendar of this treasured public amenity, and a growing collection of public art has become one of the principal reasons to visit.
Niou and CB1 Push Longer Leases, Caps on Cost Hikes, and a Voice for Residents
State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou has introduced a pair of bills in the Albany legislature that closely track recent resolutions by Community Board 1 (CB1), and address a trio of issues that have long vexed local leaders.
On Saturdays and Sundays, visit the exhibitions and the ships of the South Street Seaport Museum for free. At 12 Fulton Street, see “South Street and the Rise of New York” and “Millions: Migrants and Millionaires aboard the Great Liners, 1900-1914,” and at Pier 16, explore the tall ship Wavertree and lightship Ambrose.
Singer/songwriter Terre Roche leads this weekly singing program with the beautiful backdrop of the setting sun in NY Harbor. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned crooner, the singing circle is perfect for mellow melodies and healthy harmonizing. Free.
Paint in watercolor or use pastels and other drawing materials to capture the vistas of the Hudson River and the unique landscape of South Cove. An artist/educator will help participants of all levels with instruction and critique. Materials provided. Free.
Calling all Citizen Scientists! Download the iNaturalist free app to learn about the vast diversity of wildlife that call BPC home. Every observation contributes to documenting the biodiversity of Battery Park City. Free.
Head up to The Rooftop at Pier 17 for The Greens’ Derby party. Dress your best for a bluegrass-themed tailgate with giant juleps and even bigger skyline views. Your ticket includes a Mini Lawn reservation for up to six guests, a large-format mint julep, and a first-class view of a broadcast of the big race. There will also be live music and activities throughout the day—lawn games, tastings from sponsors, and more.
Founded by Samar Haddad King in New York City in 2005, Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre (YSDT)’s mission is to increase access to – and promote understanding through – live performance and education initiatives. $15-$20.
Join the Museum of Jewish Heritage for a virtual walking tour of Vienna. We will learn the history of the city’s four Jewish communities, the first of which began in the Middle Ages, and discuss Jewish life in Vienna today. On our way through the city center, we will see the Judenplatz with the Shoah memorial; the Stadttempel, which is the main synagogue in Vienna; the Simon Wiesenthal Center; the “Path of Remembrance”; and the iconic “Stumblestones.” $36.
Mother’s Day drumline and dance performance by Bandwith Chicago, a nonprofit that provides performing arts access to under-resourced Chicago youth. Free.
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