Goodbye Giant Pigeon, Hello Buddah: High Line Unveils New Sculpture

A 30 foot tall sandstone Buddha, titled “The Light That Shines Through the Universe” now rises above 10th Avenue on the High Line Plinth. The sculpture, created by Vietnamese-American artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen officially opened to the public in late April 2026, marking the fifth commission in the park’s art program.

The nearly 20 foot tall pigeon known as “Dinosaur” was its predecessor but did not give up its perch astride the popular outdoor tourist destination without a fight.

The Plinth is part of a rotating art program. Large-scale works are displayed roughly 18 months before making way for the next. Yet, Iván Argote’s colossal aluminum pigeon “Dinosaur” didn’t leave without a fight. A Change.Org petition launched to make the installation permanent garnered more than 7,200 signatures by late arguing that it had become a beloved community landmark that should be given a permanent perch.

Despite the drive, the NYC Parks Dept. did not changes its rotating art plans. On March 21, the High Line hosted a “Farewell Dinosaur” event featuring DJ sets, trivia, bingo, and artist signed posters. Fans of the 17 foot hand painted bird said it served as a hyper realistic homage to average city pigeon and drew admirers from around the world.

Pigeons were once prized messenger birds of the 19th century, but now they are often frowned upon as pests. Argote exalted the bird to serve as a symbol of urban resilience.

As for Dinosaur’s future, the statue’s current location it unknown. After its 18 month display on the High Line, the Parks Dept. said all rights belong to Argote.

In its place stands Nguyen’s “The Light That Shines Through the Universe” pays homage to massive statues carved into the side of a mountain that were destroyed by the Taliban. The sculpture re-envisions one of the ancient Bamiyan Buddhas of central Afghanistan. The 6th century figures were carved into sandstone cliffs along the Silk Road and blended Buddhist, Zoroastrian, and Hindi influences. The larger of the two figures, nicknamed “Salsal” or “the light that shines through the universe” stood nearly 180 feet tall before the Taliban dynamited both statues in 2001 in a widely televised act. Today, only empty niches remain in the Bamiyan Valley. While Nguyen’s version does not replicate the originals massive height, it is intended to pay tribute to what was once lost.

The sculpture weighs in at 50 tons with its body carved from light brown sandstone that is sourced and shaped in Vietnam. It’s notably detached hands, are cast from melted brass artillery shells traced to Afghanistan.

Nguyen, born in Saigon in 1976 and a refugee to the United States at age 3, has built his art career around traumas of war, displacement, and colonial erasure. He co-founded the artist run space Sàn Art and the collective The Propeller Group. His films and sculptures often reflect on spirituality and overlooked histories, specifically the aftermaths of the Vietnam War. In 2025, Nguyen received a MacArthur Fellowship, widely known as the “genius grant” for his artistic display of historic resilience. Major exhibitions include the New Museum in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town.

Cecilia Alemani, director and chief curator of High Line Art, described the work as “a timely monument for our public space.” By resurrecting the lost Bamiyan Buddhas, she said, the piece reminds viewers that “cultural treasures and shared history can transcend physical destruction.”

Nguyen’s sculpture will remain on view through fall of 2027.