Four monumental sculptures by Liu Wei now occupy the niches on The Met's Fifth Avenue front, remixing fragments of the urban environment, historical sources and bodily forms into something both raw and refined. The recurring human hand ties the group together, pulling the recognizable toward the fantastical. If you want art without a ticket line, this one is right above the steps everyone sits on.
What to expect
The work is outdoors, in the four niches of the museum's Fifth Avenue front, so you meet it before you meet the coat check. Scale is the point: these are large enough to read from across the avenue and detailed enough to reward standing directly beneath them. Light changes them considerably between morning and dusk.
Good to know
- Take the 4/5/6 to 86th Street and walk down Fifth Avenue to 82nd Street.
- The sculptures are on the exterior facade, so you can see them from the sidewalk without entering.
- Late afternoon light rakes across the niches and gives the best photographs.
- Combine it with a visit inside — the Great Hall is directly behind the facade.
- The Met steps have no shade, so bring water in warm weather and a hat.
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Common questions
Where exactly is the work?
In the four exterior niches of The Met's Fifth Avenue facade, above the main entrance steps.
Who is Liu Wei?
A Beijing-based artist born in 1972, known for monumental sculptural installations; this is his first major US presentation.
Is it the first facade commission?
No — it is the seventh in The Met's annual Genesis Facade Commission series.
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