Antony Gormley's 'New York Clearing' Installation at Brooklyn Bridge Park Critiqued Amid Corporate Backdrop

Antony Gormley's installation 'New York Clearing' (2020) at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 3 in New York features 18km of 25mm square-section aluminium, rising to 15m and covering an area similar to a basketball court. The work, described as a 'quantum drawing' in press materials, responds to Manhattan's urban grid with a tangled form resembling a ball of yarn, razor wire, or a bird's nest. It was commissioned by 'Connect, BTS', a global public art initiative supported by K-pop group BTS, aiming to explore relationships between art and music. The sculpture's shadow creates a dense, disorienting photogram reminiscent of László Moholy-Nagy's work. Critics note its overshadowing by Lower Manhattan skyscrapers and corporate brands like Verizon and AT&T, highlighting concerns about data collection via social media tagging at such public art events. The installation ran from 5 February to 27 March 2020, as reviewed in ArtReview's March 2020 issue. Technical aspects include steel ribbons securing intersections, evoking comparisons to Tokyo telephone pole wires or informal gardening systems.