Oscar Tuazon Unveils 'Eternal Flame for Scott Burton' at NYC AIDS Memorial

On June 20, the New York City AIDS Memorial unveils 'Eternal Flame for Scott Burton (2026),' a new public sculpture by American artist Oscar Tuazon. Installed at St. Vincent's Triangle in Manhattan's West Village, the work reimagines Burton's 1987 commission for the Sheepshead Bay fishing piers in Brooklyn, completed posthumously in 1994. Burton, an influential artist who died of AIDS-related illness in 1989, created a functional public artwork with benches, lighting, and civic forms that blurred sculpture, design, and infrastructure. After environmental damage and Superstorm Sandy, the original was decommissioned in 2022; key fragments were preserved by Nicholas Olney and Eric Gleason of Olney Gleason gallery. Tuazon incorporated salvaged elements—red Atlantic granite, terrazzo, and ottoman-style benches—into a circular bench with a light beam. The unveiling includes drag performances, live music, and floral installations. Executive director Dave Harper emphasizes the memorial's tenth anniversary as a platform for living commemoration, not just mourning. Tuazon centers the pink triangle as a symbol of community and pride, invoking ACT UP's 'Silence=Death.'