A towering 30-foot sculpture titled 'Double Heart' has been permanently installed in Boston, marking the first and only public art installation in the United States by the late Italian modernist designer Gaetano Pesce. The bright red sculpture, composed of two hearts pierced by an arrow that glows at night, stands as a powerful symbol of love and human connection at the Lyrik mixed-use development in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood.
Gaetano Pesce, who passed away in 2024 at age 84, was renowned for his provocative and experimental approach to design. The Italian polymath created an extensive body of work that included furniture made from kaleidoscopic resin, a vibrant corporate headquarters in the mid-1990s that some employees described as 'working in a migraine,' and conceptual architectural pieces that meditated on isolation and the human condition. 'I don't make things so they appear nice or elegant,' Pesce explained in a 2021 interview with PIN-UP magazine. 'I make objects to communicate different stories to people.'
While most of Pesce's work resides in museums and private collections, he occasionally created public artworks that brought social commentary into open spaces. His previous temporary installations included a scaled-up version of his famous Up armchair in Milan, designed to critique violence against women, and a 40-foot-tall phallic sculpture in Naples that paid homage to a theatrical mask. The Boston installation represents his commitment to using art as a vehicle for public dialogue and social understanding.
The 'Double Heart' sculpture is strategically positioned at Lyrik, a new mixed-use development built over the Massachusetts Turnpike in Back Bay, a historic neighborhood known for its brick townhouses and shopping districts along the Charles River's south bank. The location offers unobstructed sunset views from the highway, making the sculpture visible to both pedestrians on the plaza above and drivers on the roadway below. Developers hope the installation will become as iconic to Boston as Chicago's Cloud Gate, commonly known as 'The Bean.'
According to Glenn Adamson, curator, historian, and author of the 2022 book 'Gaetano Pesce: The Complete Incoherence,' the designer was passionately interested in how his work connected with the public. 'This is why he so often employed narrative, figuration, and memorable iconography,' Adamson explained. 'While much of his work was domestic in scale, we actually see this communicative aspect at its highest pitch in his public art works.' The simplicity of the heart imagery makes it universally recognizable, even to children, while the duplication transforms sentimentality into profound meaning.
The sculpture originated as a resin lamp with a marble base that Pesce initially conceived in 1979 through drawings and works on paper. Giulia Tosciri of Studio Pesce noted that it was 'essential for Pesce to express his creativity and messages through different forms: objects, drawings, and architecture with no boundaries.' A smaller version of 'Double Heart' debuted in 2023 at an Art Basel exhibition in Paris's Jardin des Tuileries before Pesce designed the larger Boston version specifically for the Lyrik location.
Pesce's vision for the piece carried urgent contemporary relevance. 'This object is significant because it has meaning in a moment when the world is not doing so well,' he said of the sculpture. 'So many stupid people are in positions of power, and they are doing serious damage. Art and design have a very significant role to play.' He believed this role was to remind people of what matters most, encouraging them to 'stay connected to positive expressions, culture, and all kinds of things—because this is what the world needs.'
The installation was commissioned by Samuels & Associates, the developer of Lyrik, with assistance from art advisory firm Goodman Taft. Molly Epstein, a senior partner at Goodman Taft, emphasized that 'art in public space creates a rare opportunity to bring the visual culture of our time into an open, everyday dialogue, one that's accessible to everyone, regardless of background or familiarity with art.' The firm hopes the sculpture will serve as both a visual landmark and an emotional touchstone for the community.
Boston has been increasingly investing in contemporary public sculptures, including a new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial by Hank Willis Thomas that debuted in 2023 and a new public art triennial launched this year. The 'Double Heart' installation fits into this broader cultural initiative while offering a unique message of unity and connection. As Epstein observed, the sculpture transforms its location into 'not only a civic gateway, but also a pilgrimage site for all who come seeking the vitality of art, the spirit of design, and the optimism that creativity brings.'
The sculpture's message of love and human connection resonates particularly strongly given rising political tensions and social divisions. Through what Adamson calls 'just a slight transformation of an image from Valentine's Day,' Pesce created a work that invites viewers to 'consider the deep mutuality of love.' The installation stands as both a celebration of human connection and a lasting testament to the power of public art to bring communities together around shared values of love, vulnerability, and hope.
