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Huge Sculpture is Coming to Western Queens

Feb. 12, 2014 By Michael Florio

A massive sculpture of a reclining woman will be resting on the western Queens shoreline this summer.

The sculpture, titled “Queen Mother of Reality”, is 50-feet long and 18-feet high and is made out of reclaimed materials, such as steel scraps. It will be on display from May 11th until August 4th at Socrates Sculpture Park, which is located at 32-01 Vernon Blvd.

The sculpture, designed by Polish artist Pawel Althamer, had been on display at East River State Park in Williamsburg—but had to be removed.

The state, which oversees the Williamsburg park, ordered that it had to come down last November because it was erected without a permit.

Althamer and a team of artists will be reassembling it at Socrates Sculpture Park next to the East River.

The sculpture was created in honor of Queen Mother Dr. Delois Blakely, a well-known Harlem activist.

“Queen Mother of Reality serves as a call to highlight New York City’s too numerous displaced and homeless, one of Dr. Blakely’s urgent causes,” according to a Socrates Sculpture Park statement.

There will be programming and viewing events on the opening day and throughout the summer, but those will be announced this spring, said Katie Denny, a spokeswoman for the park.

It has not yet been decided what will happen to the sculpture after the summer.

“We do not have any plans for the sculpture after August,” Denny said.

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