Alamo (sculpture)

Alamo (also: Astor Place Cube or "The Cube ") is an outdoor sculpture by Bernard Rosenthal, which is installed on the Astor Place, New York City. Alamo is a black iron cube (English: cube ) with an edge length of 2.4 meters, 820 kg, standing on a corner. The surface is not smooth, but has several indentations, projections and edges. The name was chosen by Rosenthal's wife and is explained on a small plaque: mass and size, they recalled the historic Alamo. The cube can be rotated about its vertical axis, by hand.

History

The artwork is one of five identical cubes Rosenthal, the copy on Astor Place was founded in 1967 as part of the organization " Sculpture and the Enviroment " ( German: " sculptures and their environment" ) from the city's Cultural Affairs Committee ( Department of Cultural Affairs ) together with 24 other works erected. Originally, the installations should remain only six months before the place, the residents reached a petition, however, a permanent installation in the East Village. 2005 was made on aspirations NYC Parks a comprehensive renovation by the artist and his original staff - during which was at the site of the so-called " jelly cubes " (English: " Jello -Cube" ) installed in memory of Peter Cooper.

Antics

Alamo was repeatedly target and victim of pranks:

• In June 2004, the appearance of a Rubik's cube was stuck with colorful cardboard box. The action of the group All Too Flat ( German: "All too flat " ) was more than 24 hours.
• In March 2006, the Graffiti Research Lab distributed magnetic, battery-powered LEDs ( so-called LED throwies ), the black cube procured colorful decoration.
• In April 2006, a pack of chalk was deposited on the dice, passers-by began to paint him. The next morning the cube was washed a total of seven people were arrested for public vandalism.
• In October 2011, the artist Olek ( Agata Oleksiak ) crocheting a cap with a camouflage pattern.

• In December 2011, students from the University Caltech covered to give the cube with fabrics him the appearance of an object of the computer game Portal.
• 2013 spread through the Internet, a pseudo - documentary in which a man claimed to live at the Alamo. The video shows in addition to various sequences also an interior that seems to correspond to the real cube. Author of the hoax is a " company about nothing" ( Original: fire about nothing ) that want to promote their 60-second meditation technique against burnout.

" This video is fictional. It is not possible to gain entry to the interior of this cube. ( German: The video is fiction, it is not possible to enter the interior.. ) "