In a daring and mysterious act, artist Danny Cole and his team have installed one of his sculptures on the balcony of a luxury residential building overlooking Manhattan’s High Line. The incident, captured in a film obtained by ARTnews, shows Danny Cole and his art handlers, equipped with a crane, quickly setting up the sculpture guerrilla-style.
While it remains unclear whether the building’s management sanctioned the installation, Cole reveals that he and his friends ventured out in the middle of the night, dropped the sculpture on the balcony using a crane, and faced trespassing charges from the city. However, they managed to complete the installation and even celebrated at the Byline release party. The apartment management released a statement expressing their acceptance of the artwork, suggesting it may have found a new home.
At only 23 years old, Cole is known for his trademark Creatures, which are doodled, simple, round-faced humanoids representing his artistic practice. He has animated them for a Coachella concert at the age of 16, turned them into successful NFTs endorsed by internet entrepreneur Gary Vee, and used them as mascots for his fashion line. Cole’s charismatic brand has evolved into a social scene and art phenomenon.
The sculpture that Cole placed near the High Line was originally created for the launch of his “Creature World” fashion brand during New York Fashion Week. The 12-foot tall yellow Creature was intended to be destroyed, but Cole decided to extend its lifespan. He used the foam sculpture as a cast, covered it in a hard shell, and poured steel into it, resulting in a one-ton sculpture he named The Creature. Public art like The Creature, which appears to be unauthorized, blurs the line between gift and bold self-promotion. Throughout art history, renowned artists such as Keith Haring, KAWS, and Banksy began by showcasing their work on the streets, capturing public interest before entering galleries.
Cole’s perspective on street art became more romantic after a conversation with graffiti artists a few years ago. Witnessing them scaling the towers of the Williamsburg Bridge to create their tags, Cole learned that it was more than just art or vandalism—it was a symbolic act of going where others believed they couldn’t.
In 2021, Cole and his friends painted a cow on the “O” of the Hollywood sign, not for promotion or politics but to create something enjoyable amidst challenging times. The police pursued them, eventually leading to their arrest. Despite the consequences, Cole’s friend asked when they would do it again.
Returning to the High Line the day after installing The Creature, Cole observed people’s reactions to the artwork.
“I just watched and listened as hundreds of people stopped and had this moment with the people around them that wouldn’t have otherwise happened,” said Cole, beaming with pride. “That was the point: the surprise, the joy, the ability to escape the craziness of surviving in New York, just to have a moment to like stop and smile and just be like, ‘What the fuck is this?'”
