This is Columbus Circle. It’s located at the southwest corner of Central Park. That’s a statue of Christopher Columbus atop the pedestal.
In his temporary installation, Discovering Columbus, artist Tatzu Nishi constructed a living room around the statue. Viewing is free but you have to have a timed ticket. You access it by climbing up four flights of scaffolding.
Once atop the scaffolding, you walk down a short corridor that looks like any other city apartment hallway and turn right into the living room.
The clever conceit is that a coffee table was constructed around the statue so that Columbus looks like a ornamental sculpture sitting atop.
The living room has comfortable furniture and a flatscreen TV playing an all-news channel. There are newspapers, magazines and books haphazardly scattered around the coffee table.
The exhibit is an unintended real estate wet dream.
It’s the view from my living room window that I’ve always fantasized about but will never actually enjoy.
* * *The guy who sits next to me in this beehive is a die-hard New York Yankee fan. Recently, he turned to me and said, earnestly and with a profound deep belief, that the reason the Baltimore Orioles made it into the playoffs this season (a rare occurrence) is because “they were inspired by the winning tradition of the Yankees.” In his befuddled mind, the Yankees were indirectly responsible for the Orioles’ success. All Yankee fans are delusional idiots. They’re the reason I soured on baseball when I moved out here.
I read in the paper that the Detroit Tigers have been handing the Yankees their asses in the playoffs.
Self portrait #6. That’s me on the left.
Exile on Pain Street 
THANK YOU for this, sugarpie! i am truly smiling this morning. xoxoxox
the apartment is something else. as too the sunsets.
Sav: It’s true. My posts have the power to alter moods and change currents.Suki: Can you imagine the sunset as seen through the apartment?! I’d probably detonate.
Yankees, wankees, isn’t their stadium in the Bronx where all the hoodlums live? I saw the Mets play in Shea stadium and enjoyed every minute of it. Daryl Strawberry is named after a fruit and I respect him for that.
Wee Cristoforo Colombo, is there any truth to the rumour that he was also famous for cross dressing?
GB: Let me try to picture you sitting in Shea… … … …nope. Can’t do it. Chef: Colombo “discovered” America and thus began the genocide of native Americans by bloodthirsty European settlers. That’s not how I was taught in elementary school but that’s how it went down.
And I grew up with the notion that he “pleased” Isabella of Spain so the Spanish Court stumped up the exhibition funds.Who remembers Amerigo Vespucci?Clever piece of art.And that’s you on the left? Are you sure?
Everyone knows it was an Irishman, Brendan the Voyager, who ‘discovered’ America.Wonderful skies my friend. :¬)
How long is that installation going to be up? i’d love to show up there in a suit, measure the walls and window openings with a giant tape measure, mince about the room yelling “FAB-U-LOUS!” and yap loudly on a cell phone about how i’ve found the most DARLING place in all of Manhattan!oh, and you can no longer lie about one very important thing. you at least have grown to like that dog.
dinah: Accurate history isn’t what I was taught in school. It was sanitized. The dog is much cuter than I. I admit it.map: I got lucky with those pics. I was out walking the dog and the sunset snuck up on me.daisy: The exhibit is up through mid-November. And you are correct. The dog is slowly working her way under my skin.
The Irish and Spanish can have your country. Canada was discovered by roving Vikings, who landed on the east coast after crossing the ocean in their longboats. Now that’s tough!!Love the sunset shots. I have some like that from when I lived on the farm. Totally un-photoshopped as well. Amazing what beauty Mother Nature can throw at us, isn’t it!Looks like you don’t quite hate that dog as much as you let on… They say that dogs and owners start to look alike. 😉
Amazing skies.How on earth does an artist get permission to make his crazy dream a reality?I tend to glaze over when baseball is mentioned.Looks like yourlove affair with the pooch is going well:)
Pon: I can’t get photos like that in the city. I mean…technically it’s possible…but there are too many hard lines and edges. It’s not the same.Pat: There’s a fantastic city agency called the Public Art Fund who organizes these spectaculars. At long last! A use for my tax dollars I can embrace!
Cn u plz do a whole post in title lingo? i lyk. i urge u 2 allow me a hearty rofl. thx, lv.
Nimpipi: I’m not all that clever. A clever thief, is all. That’s the common language used by NYC real estate agents. In fact, there’s a Broadway play from 1972 by Bob Randall called “6 Rms Riv Vu.”
What a great idea, and so carefully executed. That dog will get under your skin and you’ll be posting like Daisyfae soon.
Loved the photos, especially the last one lol.
Did Columbus ever make it there? Didn’t he go to his grave still thinking he’d only found the “other side” of India etc?
6 rms, riv vu was one of the first plays I saw (along with 1776, which was also spectacular) and it was and is a wonderful play. The movie has a young Alan Alda who is fantastic as always. F. Murray Abrahm, who later starred in Amadeus opposite Tom Hulce (had to look that up, dammit) had a great part.This short review was brought to you by the letter V for vote.Take care, UB. Don’t get too wet.