Corten Steel, cement, rainmakers
Riverside Park North, NYC
October 2024 – August 2025
Like grains slipping through an hourglass, time fades as water vanishes. Drop by drop.
A twisted sponge emulating an hourglass sits atop a drain that catches its running waters. A handle on the base invites us to turn it and listen to the sound of water trickling away, reminding us of the scarce time we have left to act.
“GOTA A GOTA, EL AGUA SE AGOTA”
About the work
The Hourglass is a Public Artwork that seeks to address the critical issue of water scarcity. The sculpture takes the form of a giant twisted sponge, resembling an hourglass, that symbolizes the diminishing availability of water, and conveying the environmental threat that this essential resource is facing over time. It combines both concepts –sponge & hourglass – seeking to visually, and technically, capture the course of water passing through and running out, hence mimicking the passage of “time” through an hourglass.
The sculpture of the sponge is positioned atop a base designed to resemble a drain. The base has a dual purpose; supporting the upper sculpture and housing a “sound box” that when turned by a handle, will generate the sound of running water.
The phrase “GOTA A GOTA, EL AGUA SE AGOTA.” (Drop by drop, the water is running out) is engraved into a manhole connecting the sponge to the drain.
Overall structure size
H 10’ W 4’ D 3’
“Sponge” Sculpture
H 6.5’ W 4’, D 3’
“Drain” Base
H 3’, 3.5’ Diameter
Credits and acknowledgements
In Memory of Mariano Del Rosario. Artist, Teacher, Mentor.
Metal Fabrication by Brandywine Valley Fabricators, Coatesville, PA.
Digital production, metal base frame fabrication and instrument engineering by Haksul Lee.
Project management by Works in Public Co-Directors Natsuki Takauji and Haksul Lee.
Special thanks to Tom Tacik, Malin Abrahamsson, Conor Fay and all my wonderfully kind and generous studio neighbors in Greenpoint: Patricio, Rolando and Tadeo.
The Hourglass was commissioned by the Art Students League of NY as part of its signature Works in Public Program in partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and Riverside Park Conservancy.
Works in Public is supported, in part by The Harry Feinberg Family Foundation, John Padget, The Dr Lawrence Spielberger & Dr Greta Spanierman Family Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.