Bernard Rosenthal had this monolithic sculpture placed in the busy center of Astor Place in lower Manhattan in 1967. Named by his wife after the appearance of the Alamo mission, it sits right outside of Cooper Union, surely a testament to the power of engineering for its students, but for others, it’s the very definition of public art. Because it is tilted on an axis, it’s capable of spinning in place, inviting curious pedestrians to try their hand at moving it. It’s extremely heavy, weighing nearly a ton, but two people are able to budge it with little effort. It has also been the subject of several acts of pranks and vandalism in the past, it was repainted in 2005 and several people were arrested for drawing on it with chalk. During a typical busy Manhattan day, you will find young and old alike sitting under the cube, or using it as a meeting place. The Alamo is a vital part of the Astor Place atmosphere and continually draws in new visitors, like the young German couple that Anthony and I spoke with. They had differing opinions, but both agreed that it’s interactivity was very intriguing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alrjk95i9sc
Here is our video where we attempt to move the cube (with limited success).
