New York City is welcoming a burst of colour and childhood nostalgia as the World Trade Center campus unveils a striking new outdoor art installation. The free yearlong exhibition, titled Rewind, brings six oversized sculptures by New York born contemporary artist WhIsBe to the south Oculus Plaza, turning one of Manhattan’s busiest public spaces into an open air playground.
More than 200,000 people move through the plaza every day. This year, they will walk among towering gummy bears, retro rockets and a dinosaur stretching more than 15 feet. The installation blends fun, whimsy and bold design in a way that invites visitors to pause, look up and reconnect with a sense of play.
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A Plaza Transformed by Childhood Icons
At the heart of the display stands a giant red, white and blue Vandal Gummy Bear, reaching 14 feet tall. It is the artist’s largest version of his signature piece in the United States and serves as the anchor of the installation.
Surrounding it are five more sculptures that each tap into childhood memories while celebrating the energy and imagination of New York City.
- WASA Rocket, 10 feet: A symbol of ambition and the city’s constant forward motion.
- dRex, 15 feet long: Inspired by childhood trips to the American Museum of Natural History.
- Spark, 5 feet: A small robot designed with a missing heart as a nod to the famous I Love NY imagery.
- Rainbow Building Blocks, 6 feet tall: A colourful salute to the city’s spirit of diversity and inclusivity.
Placed throughout the south Oculus Plaza, the sculptures inject humour and wonder into an area known for its modern architecture and heavy foot traffic.
Balancing Reflection with Joy
The World Trade Center is recognised globally as a place of remembrance, but in recent years it has also grown into a cultural destination. The Port Authority has focused on bringing public art, seasonal markets, wellness events and community programming to the campus in order to create a space that honours the past while welcoming life and creativity.
Port Authority leadership described the installation as a way to uplift the community and offer moments of joy in a location that holds deep emotional significance for New Yorkers and visitors alike.
A Landmark Moment for WhIsBe
For WhIsBe, Rewind represents a significant milestone in a career that merges street art with the contemporary art world. The artist said creating a project at this size and in such an iconic location has long been a dream and that the sculptures reflect years of development from early sketches to full scale steel creations.
Standing in the plaza, he said the installation feels like proof that imagination, persistence and purpose can take physical form in a city that never stops challenging and inspiring artists.
WhIsBe’s work has been featured around the world, including collaborations with the New Museum in New York and a seven foot Vandal Gummy acquired by Amsterdam’s MOCO Museum. His 25 foot Vandal Gummy Dino created for the Hong Kong Tourism Board remains one of his largest international commissions.
A Year of Playful Encounters
Throughout the year, the artist plans to host events and discussions around the installation, giving visitors additional ways to engage with the sculptures and their playful themes. The Port Authority continues to build a vibrant public atmosphere across the World Trade Center campus, which now includes food markets, live screenings, wellness classes and rotating art experiences.
Rewind adds a burst of colour and joy to Lower Manhattan and is set to become one of the city’s most photographed and talked about public art installations of the year.
