Gabarrón Art Installation Will Be Unveiled in Central Park on United Nations Day, 24 October

In celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, a monumental art installation entitled Enlightened Universe will be unveiled on Saturday, 24 October, at 4:30 p.m. at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park.  The installation — created by Spanish artist Cristóbal Gabarrón — is presented by The Gabarron Foundation in partnership with the United Nations.

The commemorative work of art depicts 70 life-size figures joined in hand around a central globe, creating a human chain of global citizenship, respect for nature and shared responsibility.  The sphere measures 6,371 millimetres in diameter to correspond to the Earth’s average radius of 6,371 kilometres.  The 70 figures represent the 70 years of the United Nations.

The interactive monument holds personal significance for its creator Cristóbal Gabarrón, who celebrated his own seventieth birthday this past April.

In designing Enlightened Universe, Gabarrón drew inspiration from the human values defended by the United Nations.  Gabarrón is also the creator of the United Nations seventieth anniversary poster.  He is best known for the Olympic Mural produced for the Barcelona Olympic Games of 1992, and for the messages of peace seeded in his artwork.

United Nations Day, marked annually on 24 October, celebrates the global efforts and achievements of the United Nations since its founding on this date in 1945.  The unveiling ceremony of Enlightened Universe serves as an occasion to highlight, celebrate, and reflect on the work of the United Nations and its family of agencies through the universal language of art.

For more information, please contact Jeff Brez, United Nations Department of Public Information, at tel.:  +1 212 963 8070, or e-mail: brez@un.org.