The Met Museum's Annual Rooftop Garden Installation Has Been Revealed!

Each spring, the Met Museum's commissions an artist to create a site-specific sculpture for its stunning rooftop garden space. This year, they've trusted Alex Da Corte with the incredible honor, and let's just say his particularly playful piece certainly does not disappoint.

The Philadelphia-based artist has just unveiled his 26-foot-tall masterpiece, entitled "As Long as the Sun Lasts." The work features the very recognizable Sesame Street character Big Bird, made out of 7,000 individually placed laser-cut aluminum blue feathers (a significant edit to his usually yellow, sunny disposition), and the modern aesthetic of an Alexander Calder-style standing mobile.

⁣⁣In the words of the Met, "Sitting alone, gazing out at the New York skyline, Big Bird has an introspective, melancholic disposition—both figuratively and literally blue. ⁣⁣Why blue? This choice of color also gestures to Da Corte's personal associations with Big Bird: growing up partially in Venezuela, he watched the Brazilian version of Sesame Street, in which Big Bird’s counterpart, Garibaldo, was blue. The color also alludes to the 1985 film "Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird," in which the character, while out on a road trip, is captured and painted blue by two carnival operators.⁣⁣"

"As Long as the Sun Lasts" will be on view through October 31st. Don't miss out - be sure to reserve your ticket in advance!

[Photos courtesy The Met / Anna-Marie Kellen]