antony gormley: habitat

‘habitat’, 2010
all images courtesy of antony gormley

‘habitat’ is the first-ever permanent, U.S. public art commission for british artist antony gormley.
permanently installed on the outdoor promenade at the anchorage museum at rasmuson center, alaska
acting as an interface between the museum and the city.

the house-sized sculpture is constructed from 57 welded stainless steel boxes that are 1 cm thick.
the 24 foot-tall, 37,000 pound sculpture takes the form of a crouching man.

the 24-foot tall sculpture is meant to look like a crouching man from particular angles

facing south along avenue C, with its back to avenue 6, when one approaches ‘habitat’
from the west side, they will see it in profile. however, for those traveling north-south
on avenue c, the work will read as an abstract collection of boxes.

transporting the sculpture to its resting site

the work is designed to respond to the changing light and temperature conditions of alaska,
as well as offering shelter from the wind, snow and rain. its form applies the urban grid
to the body, relating this constructed self to the wider context of anchorage. it is an introduction
to the collections of ethnography and art in the museum, and references the creation
and development of the human habitat. it is also a meditation on the condition of urban man
in relation to nature.

the sculpture is funded by the municipality’s 1 percent for art program, which has been selecting
and installing artwork for anchorage’s municipal buildings and schools since 1978.