Modified Social Bench NY #12

Jeppe Hein’s artmaking is committed to facilitating human interaction and social bonding. Throughout his thirty-year career, the Danish artist has created objects and experiences that disrupt traditional urban space, transforming sites into places for play.

In Modified Social Bench NY #12, Hein has reinvented the form of the park bench, reshaping the utilitarian object into a whimsical sculpture that invites community-building and new perspectives. The twenty-four-foot bench undulates in a straight line, forming a continuous series of loveseats for Commonwealth Pier visitors. Like the Victorian-era tête-a-tête loveseats whose fused chairs faced outwards in opposite directions to encourage close, whispered conversation between couples, Hein’s Social Bench promotes connection. Painted a vivid red, it stands out against the maritime dock, calling out to couples, kiddos, and bag-laden travelers to take a seat, enjoy the view, and strike up a conversation with their fellow bench-mates. At their best, Hein hopes they can be a sign for understanding and dialogue, for empathy and love—a necessary tool for fractured times.