29-Foot “Borealis” Sculpture Marks 20 Years on Exhibit at Greenwich Plaza

Twenty years ago, The Ashforth Company purchased and installed “Borealis”, a 29-foot welded-steel sculpture by Mark di Suvero, an internationally renowned sculptor known for his seminal use of steel and cranes in sculpting.

“Borealis” is a 29-foot welded-steel sculpture by Mark di Suvero. Contributed photo

“Borealis” is a massive sculpture made of steel I-beams in a tripod shape, painted in an eye-catching red. A crane was brought in to hoist and place the sculpture on permanent exhibit at Greenwich Plaza between the two buildings. Travelers on both I-95 and the Metro-North Railroad can see “Borealis” as they pass the office complex.

Di Suvero produces monumental outdoor art, shaping steel I-beams with industrial cutting tools, moving them with a hydraulic crane and cherry picker, and bolting or welding them together.

Created by di Suvero in 1988, “Borealis” is the companion piece of another di Suvero sculpture entitled “Aurora,” which is at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. 

“Borealis” has previously been exhibited in the 1995 Venice Biennale in Venice, Italy and at a 1998 exhibition organized by the Orange County Museum of Art in Orange County, CA.

“We appreciate the opportunity to exhibit and share with our tenants and community such a prominent and inspiring sculpture created by Mark di Suvero, one of America’s most renowned and significant contemporary artists,” said Andrew Ashforth, Co-CEO of The Ashforth Company in a release.

After 70 years, the 87- year-old artist continues to work in his New York studio that occupies a complex of warehouses on an isolated stretch of the East River in Astoria, Queens. 

Mark di Suvero’s architectural-scale sculptures – many with moving elements that invite viewer participation – have been exhibited in the United States, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. His work is in over 100 museums and public collections including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center, and Storm King Art Center.

“Borealis” is a 29-foot welded-steel sculpture by Mark di Suvero. Contributed photo

Headquartered in Stamford, The Ashforth Company is a 123-year-old diversified real estate operating company that owns, develops, and invests in commercial and multifamily assets on the East and West Coasts, and provides third party services including asset and property management, general contracting and construction management. Directly and through its affiliates, the company is invested in or manages over 14 million square feet of office space, and over 1,600 multifamily units.

Internationally renowned sculptor Mark di Suvero was born in Shanghai, China, in 1933. He immigrated to the United States in 1941 and received a BA in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Di Suvero began showing his sculpture in the late 1950’s and is one of the most important American artists to emerge from the Abstract Expressionist era. His architectural-scale sculptures – many with moving elements that invite viewer participation – have been exhibited in the United States, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Germany, Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom.

His work is in over 100 museums and public collections including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center, and Storm King Art Center where he has had three major exhibitions.