Tatzu Nishi Moves Columbus Statue Indoors

Japanese artist Tazu Nishi has wrapped the next sculpture-victim in his signature enclosed-room cage, in what seems to be a quest to capture statues and monuments—if only temporarily—like so many pinned butterflies. New York’s 13-foot-tall statue of Christopher Columbus by Gaetano Russo is now standing in a fully furnished, Bloomingdale’s-designed living room. The room sits 60 feet above the ground, surrounding the statue, while scaffolding surrounds the marble column that it sits on. Nishi calls his project Discovering Columbus, which is apropos considering how it allows visitors to see an up-close look at what they’ve only been previously able to see from the ground. Past artworks have included surrounding Singapore’s Merlion statue and Guatamala’s statue of former president Justo Rufino Barrios with luxury hotel rooms. Nishi’s most recent enclosure becomes practical on Nov. 18, when the 1892 sculpture will undergo restoration. • publicartfund.org