Kiki Smith

Kiki Smith

Sirens and Harpies

Whitney Biennial in Central Park

"Following Wien Walk north to the entrance of the Central Park Wildlife Center, parkgoers will be greeted by twenty bronze sculptures by Kiki Smith, each one bearing the head of a woman and the body of a bird. Sirens and Harpies, based upon the deadly temptresses and voracious monsters of Greek mythology, will be sited at the gateway to the zoo. The Harpies-ranging in size from 2 ½ to 4 feet tall-will peer down at passersby from each of three pillars at the zoo's entrance. The pillars will be flanked by large granite boulders, upon which two flocks of smaller Sirens will perch, guarding the entrance at ground level. These disarming creatures, extracted from an ancient past and thrust into the present, will be both stoic gatekeepers and fantastical reminders of the possibility of a menagerie more magical than the familiar animals inside the zoo." (Public Art fund and Whitney Museum of American Art)