Before the extended 7 Subway and M.C. Escher-recalling observation platform arrived in the overnight neighborhood of glass and steel behemoths that is Hudson Yards, Hell’s Kitchen was home already to a thriving artistic community. One longtime resident is Don Porcaro, and for the last month, examples of his unmistakable, stacked cylindrical “Talisman” sculptures, whimsical stupas in bronze, marble and brass, have greeted visitors to the new Hudson Boulevard Park at 34th Street between 10th and 11th avenues. Also part of his commissioned project are the 50 “Nomads” that line the landscaped islet within one of the park’s three fountains. At once guardians and revelers, they are, like the wary denizens of the district, ambivalent towards the surrounding razzmatazz of social improvement. DAVID COHEN

On view through October 13, 2018.
Hudson Boulevard Park is located between West 33rd and West 36th Streets, mid-block between 10th and 11th Avenues. The Hudson Yards / Hell’s Kitchen Alliance maintains and operates this public park, through an agreement with NYC Parks & Recreation.