LeFrak to unveil 60-ft. steel whale on Jersey City waterfront
Jersey City, NJ A seven-ton, 60-ft. steel whale will make waves on the Jersey City waterfront this fall as part of the 40th anniversary of Newport’s development.
LeFrak will unveil The Mother of All Echoes, a new permanent, site-specific installation by internationally celebrated artist Mathias Gmachl in Marina Park at Newport, on Jersey City’s waterfront. Standing 30 ft. high, the painted steel sculpture will appear to lift from the park in a dramatic cantilevered pose, while an integrated lighting scheme will animate its interior with shifting waves of color at night.
The work is part of Gmachl’s ongoing ECHOES series, which explores ecology and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The artwork was designed in 3D and transferred onto welded steel using mixed-reality holograms to guide the hand-painting process.
Once installed, the sculpture will join Jaume Plensa’s 80-ft.-tall Water’s Soul as part of Newport’s growing waterfront public art landscape, reflecting LeFrak’s continued commitment to the community they created in the 1980s.