Buddha-inspired sculpture unveiled in New York’s High Line

A new monument has been installed on the western edge of Manhattan, near the Hudson Yards complex. The work by Vietnamese-American artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen is dedicated to the Buddhas of Bamiyan—two giant statues, 55 m and 38 m tall, carved into the cliffs of the Hindu Kush mountains.

The statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Later, in 2008, archaeologists discovered the remains of a 19-metre Sleeping Buddha about 2 km from the ruined niches.

The 8.2-metre sandstone sculpture now stands on a pedestal in the elevated park, High Line. The artist titled the work “Salsal,” the name used by residents of the Bamiyan Valley for the larger of the original statues, meaning “light shines through the universe.”

The monument does not replicate the ancient figures but is made largely from the same material. Its key element is a pair of steel hands cast from melted-down artillery shells recovered in Afghanistan. Suspended where the original hands would have been, they are shaped into gestures symbolising fearlessness and compassion.

The installation will be accompanied by a series of lectures and meditation sessions, with the first event scheduled for May 16 during the Frieze New York fair.

By Vugar Khalilov