A newly commissioned public artwork by Anselm Kiefer has been unveiled at the entrance to Rockefeller Center’s Channel Gardens on Fifth Avenue in New York City. On view through July 22, “Uraeus” presents a monumental open book framed by lead eagle wings that together span roughly 30 feet. The sculpture sits atop a 20-foot-tall column made of lead and finished in stainless steel.
Rich in symbolism, the title “Uraeus” refers to the upright Egyptian cobra and the serpent-goddess Wadjet, an ancient emblem of divine authority and protection. Kiefer drew additional inspiration from Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophical novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1891), which informs some of the work’s themes of transformation and power.
German-born Anselm Kiefer is internationally recognized for his large-scale, material-driven works. His pieces have been shown at major museums and institutions worldwide, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Kiefer’s practice often blends myth, history, and literary references with dense, tactile materials—qualities evident in Uraeus’s imposing scale and layered symbolism.
Installed at a high-visibility site on Fifth Avenue, the work engages passersby with its dramatic silhouette and textural contrasts: the dark, matte lead elements juxtapose the reflective stainless steel cladding, while the open-book motif invites contemplation of knowledge, narrative, and authority. The eagle wings—rendered in heavy metal—lend a sense of motion and monumentality, linking ancient iconography to contemporary public space.
As a temporary outdoor installation, Uraeus contributes to the ongoing conversation about public art in urban settings, where large-scale sculptures can transform familiar environments and create new focal points for civic life. The work’s placement at Channel Gardens connects Kiefer’s symbolic language to a historic architectural and cultural site, encouraging both visitors and locals to consider how myth, history, and philosophy intersect in the modern cityscape.
Uraeus will remain on view through July 22 at Rockefeller Center’s Channel Gardens. The installation adds to Rockefeller Center’s tradition of presenting significant public artworks and offers a chance to experience Kiefer’s distinctive approach to materiality and symbolic narrative in a prominent public setting.