Explore the Evolution into tourist attraction about the History of this artwork.
As soon as the sculpture was set up at Bowling Green, it became "an instant hit". One of the city's most photographed artworks, it has become a tourist destination in the Financial District. "Its popularity is beyond doubt", an article in The New York Times said of the artwork. "Visitors constantly pose for pictures around it." Henry J. Stern, the city parks commissioner when the statue first appeared in the Financial District, said in 1993: "People are crazy about the bull. It captured their imagination." Adrian Benepe, a later New York City parks commissioner, said in 2004, "It's become one of the most visited, most photographed and perhaps most loved and recognized statues in the city of New York. I would say it's right up there with the Statue of Liberty." A 2003 Bollywood film, Kal Ho Naa Ho, featured Charging Bull in a musical number; one visitor told a reporter that the bull's appearance in the film was a reason for his visit to New York City. Despite the financial crisis of 2007–2008, Charging Bull remained a popular tourist attraction.
In addition to having their pictures taken at the front end of the bull, many tourists pose at the back of the bull, near the large testicles "for snapshots under an unmistakable symbol of its virility". According to a 2002 article in The Washington Post, "People on The Street say you've got to rub the nose, horns and testicles of the bull for good luck, tour guide Wayne McLeod would tell the group on the Baltimore bus, who would giddily oblige." A 2004 article in The New York Times said, "Passers-by have rubbed—to a bright gleam—its nose, horns and a part of its anatomy that, as Mr. Benepe put it gingerly, 'separates the bull from the steer.'" A 2007 newspaper account agreed that a "peculiar ritual" of handling the "shining orbs" of the statue's scrotum seems to have developed into a tradition.On March 7, 2017, a bronze sculpture by Kristen Visbal, Fearless Girl, was installed facing Charging Bull. It was commissioned to advertise for an index fund that comprises gender-diverse companies that have a relatively high percentage of women among their senior leadership and installed in anticipation of International Women's Day the following day. It depicts a girl four-foot (1.2 m) high, promoting female empowerment. After Di Modica filed complaints about Fearless Girl, it was removed in November 2018 and relocated to outside the New York Stock Exchange. A plaque with footprints was placed on the original site of Fearless Girl.In November 2019, city officials announced that they wished to move Charging Bull to a plaza outside the New York Stock Exchange due to safety concerns at Bowling Green. Officials stated that because Charging Bull is located on a traffic median with large crowds, it was vulnerable to terrorist attacks, citing examples such as the 2017 truck attack on the nearby West Side Highway. Local community group Downtown Alliance supported the relocation, but Di Modica opposed it. The New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) had filed an application with the New York City Public Design Commission (PDC) to relocate Charging Bull, but subsequently withdrew the application, which a city spokesperson said was due to uncertainty over the new location. Residents of Manhattan Community District 1, which includes the Financial District, expressed opposition to the relocation in a meeting with city officials in May 2020. At the time, updated plans called for Charging Bull to be located at the corner of Broad Street and Wall Street, north of Fearless Girl. The PDC declined to endorse relocation in June 2020.On October 18, 2021, a statue of Harambe, a gorilla, was placed facing the statue in a similar manner to Fearless Girl and thousands of bananas were placed under the bull's feet. The act was carried out by organizers promoting Sapien.Network, an in-development social media network.In fall 2021, artist Nelson Saiers placed a series of sculptures next to the Bull to comment on the Federal Reserve's monetary policy and inflation. The first, "Cheap Money is Out of Order," featured a gumball machine filled with $10 bills offered for 25 cents with an "Out of Order!" sign taped to its face.
The Washington Post Adrian Benepe testicle Manhattan Statue of Liberty Fearless Girl New York City Department of Transportation West Side Highway Nelson Saiers virility Kal Ho Naa Ho bronze sculpture Bull traffic median financial crisis of 2007–2008 bull Financial District Bollywood Kristen Visbal 2017 truck attack New York City rub Federal Reserve Broad Street Harambe Manhattan Community District 1 Henry J. Stern Bowling Green scrotum index fund The New York Times New York City Public Design Commission Wall Street International Women's Day Federal Reserve's