Tuan Andrew Nguyen b. 1976
A Luminous Echo, 2026
Sandstone, brass from artillery shells, and brass
9 x 4.9 x 4.6 ft
2.75 x 1.5 x 1.4 m (including plinth)
2.75 x 1.5 x 1.4 m (including plinth)
Edition of 3 plus 1 AP (#3/3)
Copyright The Artist
A Luminous Echo, is a new nine-foot carved sandstone Buddha sculpture with hands cast from reclaimed artillery shells sourced from unexploded ordnances (UXOs) recovered in Afghanistan. The brass hands are...
A Luminous Echo, is a new nine-foot carved sandstone Buddha sculpture with hands cast from reclaimed artillery shells sourced from unexploded ordnances (UXOs) recovered in Afghanistan. The brass hands are positioned into two mudras representing “fearlessness” and “compassion”, becoming symbols of healing and empathy. The work was created alongside Nguyen’s 2026 High Line Plinth commission, The Light That Shines Through the Universe, on view until Fall 2027.
The sculpture draws inspiration from the Bamiyan Buddhas, two monumental sixth-century sculptures carved into the cliffs of central Afghanistan that were destroyed in 2001 in an act of cultural destruction. With only vast empty niches remaining, the work reflects on cultural memory and loss and serves as a powerful reminder of the rich crossroads of civilizations shaped by Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, and centuries of exchange along the Silk Road.
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