Client: Friends of the High Line

Overview

Paola Pivi’s thought-provoking sculpture “You know who I am” presents a 16-foot-tall bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty on the High Line in Manhattan. However, this familiar symbol takes on a new and peculiar twist as the classical features and Greek nose of Lady Liberty are adorned with an emoji-like mask depicting the face of an Asian child. The juxtaposition of the iconic draped figure and the cartoonish expression challenges visitors to reconcile these seemingly incongruous elements. Pivi, an Italian-born artist, meticulously reproduced the statue, including even the smallest details like the fingernails, based on a plaster cast derived from the original bronze sculpture by French artist Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi. By introducing the mask, she imbues the commissioned statue with a different age, race, and gender, while also connecting it to a poignant narrative originating in India. Each of the individual masks used represent actual immigrants who have found their freedom in the US; from her adopted Indian son to an indigenous colleague in Alaska.

Goals

The artwork prompts viewers to contemplate the complex layers of meaning embedded within this striking reinterpretation of a common American symbol of freedom.

Process

BORN FREE: A series of fiberglass cartoon masks produced at JAD in partnership with Pivi. Each edition serves as a playful representation of populations whose experience of freedom is linked to the United States in one way or another. Each mask was designed and rendered by Pivi's Studios. They were then output and milled in urethane and coated in fiberglass and prepared for finishing. Pivi worked directly with the Johnson Atelier paint team to custom airbrush each of the different masks. These were then strapped on to the statue's face as a mask. There were 5 masks in total that were rotated every 2 months on The High Line.

Additional Information

Exhibited at The Highline, New York, NY 2022-2023