An Enormous Sculpture by Nick Cave Joins the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park Collection
An exciting addition is coming to the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan: a massive sculpture by renowned artist Nick Cave. Set to be unveiled in October, Cave’s cast-bronze masterpiece titled “Amalgam (Origin)” (2024) will join the impressive outdoor collection that includes works by artists such as Auguste Rodin, Louise Bourgeois, Ai Weiwei, Richard Serra, and Barbara Hepworth.
Standing tall at 26 feet, the sculpture features a colossal human figure intricately crafted with vines of roses and other blossoms climbing up its limbs and body. Instead of a traditional head, the figure sports tree limbs and branches that extend towards the sky, some ending in cast-bronze birds perched on disc-shaped pedestals, while others taper off into skeletal joints.
The “Amalgam” series, with its motifs of birds and natural growth symbolizing evolution and migration, draws inspiration from Cave’s iconic “Soundsuits” series. Originating in 1992 as a response to the brutal beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police, the “Soundsuits” were elaborate wearable costumes designed to conceal one’s racial, gender, and class identities as a form of protection.
“These newer sculptures convey a sense of permanence and complexity that differ from the movable ‘Soundsuits’, offering a unique perspective on the evolution of Cave’s artistic journey,” noted Hyperallergic‘s Editor-in-Chief, Hrag Vartanian, in a review of Cave’s 2025 exhibition at Jack Shainman Gallery.
A graduate of the nearby Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Cave expressed his excitement about showcasing his first major outdoor sculpture in Michigan as a “full-circle moment.” He envisions real birds nesting in the bronze branches of “Amalgam (Origin)” when he visits next spring.
The installation of “Amalgam (Origin)” will grace the North Path of the Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, nestled between the Richard and Helen DeVos Japanese Garden and Michigan’s Farm Garden.
