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Folks walking by Rockefeller Center in the next few weeks will be treated to the sight of an additional landmark right in front of the legendary building: the famous "LOVE" sculpture by the late artist Robert Indiana, now on display on location through October 23.
Following an early summer announcement regarding the imminent return of the work after a four-year-long retirement, the city unveiled the iconic monument earlier this morning right by Rockefeller Center's Channel Gardens.
The midtown campus is now also home to a slew of other projects by Indiana, including his sculptures "ONE Through ZERO (The Ten Numbers)," intended to "represent the cycle of human life from birth to death," according to an official press release. Made of steel and each eight feet high, the monuments can be found around Rockefeller Center's outdoor rink alongside 193 flags featuring the artist's "Peace Paintings" series.
The latter project was Indiana's direct response to the 9/11 attacks. At the time, he lived in New York, a town he called home for 24 years, and used his medium to reflect on the atrocity that fell upon the city, specifically commenting on the importance of love and unity throughout the world.
The history of "LOVE," a 12-foot-high polychrome aluminum work of public art, started in 1971, when the first version of it was installed at the Fifth Avenue and 60th Street entrance to Central Park. It was then moved to Sixth Avenue and 55th Street, where it stood tall for decades until 2019, when it was removed for conservation. On display for a little over a month at Rockefeller Plaza, the piece will then be moved to a yet-to-be-disclosed location next.
"We live in New York City, where there is so much concrete and you can get into this space of just seeing the same few blocks over and over again," said Laurie Cumbo, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, during the presentation. "But as you walk and look up and see a beautiful work of art like the 'LOVE' sculpture, it gives you a sense of excitement, a chance of having some light and adding a bit of humor to your day. And that's what public art is all about."