Phantom oil pumps and a soaring marble column arrive at New York's Times Square
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, September 4, 2025


Phantom oil pumps and a soaring marble column arrive at New York's Times Square
Soñando New York (Dreaming New York). Photo: Josh Nefsky.



NEW YORK, NY.- The Times Square Alliance, as part of its ongoing commitment to bring the best of contemporary art to the Crossroads of the World, announced today that two new public art installations have come to the Times Square district -- Manhattan Oil Project by German-born Josephine Meckseper and Soñando New York (Dreaming New York) by Uruguayan sculptor Pablo Atchugarry.

Manhattan Oil Project, presented by the Art Production Fund, is comprised of two new monumental kinetic, steel sculptures, each standing 25 feet tall. These full-scale sculptures are inspired by mid-20th century oil pumps that the artist discovered in Electra, a boarded-up town once famous for being the pump jack capital of Texas. Each sculpture is fully motorized to simulate the motions of a working oil pump two times a day in four-hour shifts. Placed in a vacant lot, the black and red steel structures slowly creak in the ceaseless oscillations of phantom oil excavation. The installation will be on display from now through May 6, 2012 at The Last Lot project space located on 46th Street and 8th Avenue.

“I hope to draw parallels between the American industrial system, transitioning from a past of heavy industry, factories, and teamsters and the disembodied present of electronic mass-media, surface advertising, and consumerism - so clearly embodied in Times Square,” said artist Josephine Meckseper. “The critical placement of the pumps is a conceptual gesture that raises questions about business and capital; land use and resources; wealth and decay; decadence and dependence.”

The second sculpture, Soñando New York (Dreaming New York) is presented by Hollis Taggart Galleries in partnership with the Armory Show. The approximately 6-foot tall, pleated sculpture is hand-carved from a single block of Carrara marble. The artist, Uruguayan sculptor Pablo Atchugarry, is a direct carver, meaning he works directly on the material, without sketches. The sculpture will be on display in Duffy Square from now to Monday, March 12. This year’s Armory Show runs from March 8-11, with special previews on March 6-7.

“I want Dreaming New York to be a tribute to this marvelous city, where one can feel the spirit of freedom,” said artist Pablo Atchugarry. “The sculpture's vertical tension, realized through the Carrara marble, symbolizes the soaring heights of the city, its vital energy, and the ideals and dreams of those who inhabit it.”

“Both of these sculptures showcase Times Square’s commitment to the promotion of the Armory Show and contemporary international artists,” said Tim Tompkins, President of the Times Square Alliance. “Soñando New York’s smooth folds of marble provide a moment of reflection while the pump jacks in an empty lot comment on the center of New York City as a center of commercial culture.”










Today's News

March 7, 2012

Paintings of dogs fetch prices to bark at; two price records were broken this year

Exhibition of works from the last decade of Jean Dubuffet's life opens at Waddington Custot Galleries

La Cinémathèque française gives France an opportunity to discover Tim Burton's talents

Exhibition at New York University explores ancient nomadic culture of Kazakhstan

Museum Jorns celebrates Asger Jorn in the run-up to his 100-year anniversary in 2014

IBM software transforms the Paris' Louvre into Europe's first smarter museum

True stories: American photography from the Sammlung Moderne Kunst opens in Munich

Phantom oil pumps and a soaring marble column arrive at New York's Times Square

The Rijksmuseum celebrates 400 years of diplomatic relations between the Netherlands and Turkey

First winners of the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund grants announced as the fair marks its silver jubilee

Twenty unseen photographs by Tom Craig on view at Flaere Gallery in London

Vitrea: A new body of work by the artist Elisabeth Scherffig opens at Faggionato Fine Arts

Portland Museum of Art hires new Curator of Contemporary and Modern art

Steve McQueen to transform Amsterdam's largest public park, the Vondelpark

INDEPENDENT returns for its third edition at former Dia Center for the Arts building

The Helsinki Photography Biennial 2012 opens in Finland

Hijacked III: Contemporary photography from Australia and the United Kingdom opens at QUAD in Derby

Sophy Rickett: To the River opens at Arnolfini




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 




Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)


Editor: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful