Huge new ‘Oracle’ greets Rockefeller Center visitors in New York

A man stands and looks at Sanford Biggers statue ‘Oracle’ at Rockefeller Center in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., May 5, 2021. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

A massive new bronze sculpture welcomes visitors to Rockefeller Center in the New York landmark’s first campus-wide show by a single artist.

The 25-foot (7.6 m) tall black “Oracle” with a huge head joins murals, flags, and videos at the venue, all created by Sanford Biggers, whose artwork also includes music and performance.

The seated figure is part of the Harlem-based artist’s Chimera series of sculptures that combine African masks and European figures to explore mythologies of those cultures.

“I’ve always been intrigued by Rockefeller Center for its architectural history and mythological references,” Biggers said in a statement, calling the Art Deco-styled venue “an ideal context for myth creation.”

The show by Rockefeller Center and Art Production Fund was slated to open in September but was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The works will be on view until June 29, with plans to take the centerpiece sculpture on tour later.