The 6 Most Impressive Sculptures in the New Orleans City Park Sculpture Garden
This month — on May 15th, 2019, the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden in New Orleans City Park re-opened it’s gates to the public.
I had the opportunity to visit the garden shortly after it’s re-opening and thought I would share the 6 pieces I found to be the most impressive, they’re listed below in no particular order.
Shadel (Skull) by Katherina Fritsch (2017)
Guess what this giant human skull is made out of? Bronze! And after it was casted, it was painted white. It’s almost creepy how bone-like the skull actually looks in real life.
Dumna by Ursula Von Ridingsvard (2015)
Okay, now guess what this giant rock sculpture is made out of? Granite? No! It’s also bronze. Like Katherina Fritsch, Ursula Von Ridingsvard is a contemporary German artist. I guess German artists just like making bronze sculptures look like other things..
Runner by Tony Cragg (2017)
This stainless steel sculpture by contemporary artist Tony Cragg looks like something out Silver Surfer. The surface is shiny so you can see yourself reflected when you stand in front of it, kind of like a distorting mirror at a circus.
Large Seated Cardinal by Giacomo Manzú (1983)
This massive bronze sculpture by Italian artist Giacomo Manzú reminds me of a painting by Mexican artist Rafael Coronel, or a chess piece that came to life and popped out of a Harry Potter novel.
Karma by Do-Ho Suh (2011)
This piece might have been my favorite. It was created in 2011 by Korean artist, Do-Ho Suh out of brushed stainless steel. The sculpture stands about 20 feet tall (but don’t quote me on that) and ends in a curvy point. You can’t see it from the photo, but there was a dragon fly perched on the tipy top of the sculpture the entire time I was in the garden.
Caduto a Ragione (Fallen to the Ground) by Mimmo Paladino (2008)
Another massive bronze sculpture, this time by an Italian born arts, Mimmo Paladino. It looks like a giant man popping out of the shrubbery being attacked by baby birds. I’m not really sure why it’s called Fallen to the Ground, as the man is standing tall..
So there you have it, my 6 favorite sculptures in the New Orleans Sculpture Garden. If you’re every in New Orleans do yourself a favor and put down the booze for a couple hours to check it out, it will be worth your while even if you’re not an art enthusiast. Honestly, even if you’re hung over it’s a great place to recoup and relax for an afternoon.
