Overview

• The 10-foot “Foot Fountain (pink)” on Manhattan’s High Line features a pedal-activated sprinkler that cools passersby by spraying water.
• Viewers have described the flesh-colored sculpture topped with protruding mouths as grotesque and overtly phallic, prompting shock and disgust on social media.
• Mika Rottenberg conceived the piece during the pandemic as a small irrigation fountain for Basel’s Tinguely Museum before enlarging it for New York’s elevated park.
• Backed by the National Endowment for the Arts and state and city arts councils, the High Line’s public art program funds provocative installations like Rottenberg’s work.
• The foot-based fountain replaced Iván Argote’s towering pigeon sculpture, reflecting the park’s evolving lineup of temporary artworks.