Bronze Giants and Needlepoint Echoes: Nick Cave’s Monumental Leap in Tribeca
A towering bronze figure now stands beneath the ornate ceilings of Tribeca’s historic Clock Tower Building, marking the bold debut of Jack Shainman Gallery’s new home. Nick Cave’s exhibition, “Amalgams and Graphts,” transforms the 20,000-square-foot space into a stage for art that reimagines public monuments.
Cave’s “Amalgams” are no ordinary statues—they’re monumental bronze sculptures that challenge the conventions of who and what gets commemorated in public. These works build on his iconic “Soundsuits,” which first emerged as a creative response to racial violence in the early 1990s. Now, the suit morphs into bronze, sprouting trees and evolving into new forms of identity and presence.
Alongside these giants, Cave’s “Graphts” series weaves needlepoint self-portraits with vintage serving trays, playfully contrasting symbols of privilege and labor. The result is a layered conversation about class, history, and transformation—where every stitch and cast bronze tells a story of change.
In this grand new setting, Cave’s art doesn’t just fill a gallery; it redefines what monuments can mean.
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