Created as a symbol of hope after the 1987 stock market crash, Wall Street’s iconic Charging Bull sculpture is now a constantly protested and celebrated emblem of capitalism. In September, one protester took a metal banjo to the sculpture, striking its right horn while cursing about President Trump.
Now, New York City wants to move the beleaguered bull, but not for the sculpture’s sake. The city claims the move is meant to protect New Yorkers and tourists, as the Charging Bull attracts crowds that could tempt terrorist attacks. The statue, which currently rests in Bowling Green park, would move a few blocks north, closer to the New York Stock Exchange, all in the name of safety.
Its artist is not convinced.
“I feel very disappointed about the way my sculpture is treated, with nothing but contempt and not the appreciation that should be, since Charging Bull became one of the most visited attractions of New York City,” sculptor Arturo Di Modica said in a statement to Artnet News.
As for Mayor Bill de Blasio’s supposed reasons for moving the statue, the New York Post piled on, writing, “What a load of bull.”
Moving the bull to the New York Stock Exchange is not the wish of the artist, but it is a return to the sculpture’s original home. Di Modica and a crew placed the bull in front of the stock exchange in the middle of one night in October 1989. The city accepted the rogue art installation but moved it to its current home in Bowling Green Park.
The latest challenge to Charging Bull isn’t the first time Di Modica has had to fight for his art. On International Women’s Day in March 2017, Fearless Girl was erected across from Charging Bull, turning the sculpture into an antagonist. The new statue was meant as a symbol of female empowerment, as she appeared to defiantly stare down the Charging Bull.
But the bull, a symbol for a bull market and the success of capitalism, wasn’t quite the right target. The standoff prompted another artist to add a Pissing Pug next to Fearless Girl. It was promptly removed.
Now, Fearless Girl rests across from the New York Stock Exchange, and the impending move of Charging Bull is the latest drama for the sculpture that can’t catch a break. Arthur Piccolo, a spokesman for Di Modica and chairman of the Bowling Green Association, told the Wall Street Journal that the city of New York should lay off.
“The bull has been in Bowling Green Park for nearly 30 years and it’s the perfect location,” Piccolo said. “There’s no reason to move it now.”
