Tongues & Flames at the Gershwin. 1997-
Exterior sculpture installation.
Commissioned by: The Gershwin Hotel, New York City.
On-going/growing installation on the facade of the Gershwin Hotel. First part unveiled in Fall 1997.
Permanent exterior sculpture installation on the facade of the Gershwin Hotel. Stainless steel structures covered with fiberglass and clear casted resins; artificial interior lights. Project consists of multiple pieces sticking out from the wall, some of which perhaps remind of tongues, some of which remind of flames.
When writer Gordon Sander introduced Lindfors to Mr. Urs Jakob, owner of the Gershwin, in winter 1995 in New York City, Jakob asked Lindfors to "do something about the facade of the Hotel", since he felt it needed attention. The building is located in the middle of the block on the north side of 27tth Street, between Madison and 5th Avenues, in lower mid-town Manhattan. Lindfors proposed an installation of gigantic dragonfly wings rising all the way up to the top of the 13-story building. This proposal did not in Mr. Jakob's mind represent the "Gershwin-concept" enough, and Lindfors started over again. (Sketches for the "dragonfly proposal" are published in the exhibition catalogue "Freedom of Speech, Stefan Lindfors, sculpture" 1996, ISBN: 0-9652370-0-1).
The final concept consists of man-size, three-dimensional pieces climbing up the facade, aswell as four several meter long "tongues" sticking out of each arch above each of the entrance doors. The first three first stories of the 13-story high building are painted red.
The excecution of the "Tongues & Flames" installation is on-going and growing: The first two flames around the main entrance were unveiled in Summer 1997, and a second unveiling including the four "entrance-arch tongues" took place on September 8, 1998. The tongue sticking out from the arch above the main entrance doors, also continues into the hotel, licking the seiling approx. 12 meters into the lobby.
More flames will be added on in another two sessions, until the entire Hotel all the way up to the roof -hosted by the four gigantic and vital tongues- is on fire.
Drawing: Stefan Lindfors
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Photo: Ramak Fazel
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Heidi Culvert
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Kyle Minor
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