Tuan Andrew Nguyen's Bamiyan Buddha Echo Rises on High Line

Tuan Andrew Nguyen's "The Light That Shines Through the Universe" (2026), a 27-foot-tall sandstone sculpture referencing the destroyed Bamiyan Buddhas, has been installed on the High Line at West 30th Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan. It is the park's fifth site-specific commission, selected from nearly 60 proposals, and will be on view through Spring 2027. The sculpture's hands are cast from melted artillery brass sourced from Afghanistan's Bamiyan region, forming mudras: the right hand in Abhaya (fearlessness) and the left in Varada (compassion). Nguyen describes the work as an "echo" rather than a replica, emphasizing the act of retelling as a way to keep memory alive. High Line art director Cecilia Alemani noted the work's friction with its sleek surroundings and its timely resonance amid ongoing conflicts, though the proposal was selected long before. The original Bamiyan Buddhas, dating to the 6th century, were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.