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Last week, we reported on the imminent departure of Dinosaur, the colossal aluminum pigeon by Iván Argote that has perched on the High Line’s Spur for the past year and a half. Turns out that a lot of New Yorkers actually treasure the sight of the giant bird while walking around the west side of town and wish for it to become a permanent fixture, as evidenced by the over 5,000 people who have already signed a petition to keep Dinosaur from leaving its post.
Titled "Make Dinosaur the Colossal Pigeon Statue a Permanent NYC Fixture on the High Line," the Change.org petition calls on the High Line, NYC Parks "and relevant partners to work collaboratively with the artist to extend the installation or to designate the pigeon sculpture as a permanent public artwork."
According to one Brett Tulip, the petition starter, "removing the sculpture would eliminate a piece of art that has already become deeply meaningful to the community in a short period of time."
Petition signers also expressed their devotion to the statue in the comments section. "Being a resident in the neighborhood, I’ve grown to like this statue more than I thought," someone noted. "Seeing it glitter under the sunlight or quietly covered by snow has brought me so much joy."
"The pigeon is such an iconic symbol of New York..social, adaptable and intelligent," someone else comments. "Let’s keep it on the High Line!"
The overall intention of the petition could be summed up in a single comment by a certain Robert: “Dinosaur stays!”
Considering that, according to 2024 Census data, more than eight million people currently live in NYC, the 5,199 verified signatures on the document might not seem like much—but it’s definitely heartening to see how art pieces truly become one with the city and help define the space for so many residents.