Swedish-born artist Hanna Liden just unveiled Everything — a series of works consisting of nine giant bagel sculptures as part of a public-art project in Manhattan. Seven of the giant bagels are on display in West Village’s Hudson River Park through October 20, while two will occupy a spot on lower Sixth Avenue until August 24.
Leiden, a photographer-turned-artist, previously exhibited I Hope These Ruin A Perfectly Bad Day in New York in 2014, a series of photographs featuring disparate everyday objects repurposed as flower holders.
She turned to a very quintessential New York item — the bagel — for this new project.
In explaining the new exhibit, Liden said, ““Tacos are not New York. Pizza slices are, but the bagel has a better shape.”
The sculptures, made from industrial-foam and coming in at four feet in width, are being presented by the Art Production Fund, a New York non-profit “dedicated to commissioning and producing ambitious public art projects, reaching new audiences and expanding awareness through contemporary art.”
In Liden’s own words, “the bagel — a circle with no beginning and no end — is evocative of the eternal cycle of city life. The black spray paint is a romantic tribute to the darkness and grime, which are essential and beautiful characteristics of our city.”
