Artist Tatzu Nishi creates an elevated room for 'Discovering Columbus'

This week Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi unveils ‘Discovering Columbus’, a ‘living room’ that envelops the iconic Columbus statue in New York City’s midtown district. courtesy Public Art Fund, NY

(Image credit: Jesse Hamerman & Tom Powel)

By Ellen Himelfarb

last updated 25 August 2022

in News

Even if you work in the Time Warner Center, you've never seen Columbus Circle as New Yorkers will this autumn, thanks to Tatzu Nishi's latest exhibition.

The Japanese artist, known for his elevated 'rooms' that allow visitors to connect face-to-face with historical monuments, has transformed the space around the iconic Columbus statue into a contemporary living room.

Mounted upon an obelisk at a height of 20m, 'Discovering Columbus' is a loft-style lounge with huge windows onto Central Park and the bustle of midtown - views that Columbus would surely boast about if he were still with us. But it's rather the prospect of entrée to the forever inaccessible 120-year-old marble statue that is the highlight. (Columbus has been given a good scrub for the occasion.)

Few artists have managed to marry architecture and interior design with spectacle and guerrilla-style goodwill quite like Nishi, who recently dismantled his successful pop-up Hotel Gent [sic], a guest suite crafted around the 100-year-old clock tower at Ghent's Sint-Pieters train station. Like in Ghent, New Yorkers keen to witness Nishi's 'spatial encounter' have to climb six flights of scaffolding to the floating room, where the artist has installed all the mod cons of the midtown apartment, including his own bespoke 'American pop culture' wallpaper.

The environment he creates in effect contemporises the marble relic, which appears remarkably in synch within a modern context. Alas, like most publicly funded outdoor art exhibitions, it'll close in November, before the harsh winter climate dampens the New Yorkers' enthusiasm for exploration.

under-construction artwork view — This photograph of the under-construction artwork shows the 20m base on to which the room is mounted for a close encounter with Columbus
*courtesy Public Art Fund, NY*

architecture view — Few artists have managed to marry architecture and interior design with spectacle and guerrilla-style goodwill quite like Tatzu Nishi
*courtesy Public Art Fund, NY*

Room with marble statue — The room has large windows onto the city, but it's the prospect of greeting the 120-year-old marble statue face to face that is the highlight
*courtesy Public Art Fund, NY*

Apartment with coffee table and lamp — Nishi has installed all the mod cons of the New York apartment: a sofa, coffee table, TV...
*courtesy Public Art Fund, NY*

American pop culture wallpaper — ...and his own bespoke ‘American pop culture’ wallpaper
*courtesy Public Art Fund, NY*

Room exterior view — Visitors climb six flights up scaffolding to access the room
*courtesy Public Art Fund, NY*

sculpture view — The sculpture was cleaned up for the event
*courtesy Public Art Fund, NY*

Hotel Gent exterior view — Tatzu Nishi's previous public artwork, 'Hotel Gent', in Belgium has only just been dismantled

suite made around the clock tower — He constructed a suite around the clock tower at Ghent's Sint-Pieters train station

Station view — It was restored for the occasion, along with the rest of the station

Bedroom view — The pop-up lasted for several few months

Based in London, Ellen Himelfarb travels widely for her reports on architecture and design. Her words appear in The Times, The Telegraph, The World of Interiors, and The Globe and Mail in her native Canada. She has worked with Wallpaper* since 2006.

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