The Edition

Rumors of War is American artist Kehinde Wiley’s first public sculpture, and a direct response to the Confederate memorials that populate the United States. Mounted proudly on its large stone pedestal, Wiley’s monumental bronze sculpture features an African-American man dressed in urban streetwear, sitting in a striking pose astride a massive horse. Rumors of War is a powerful repositioning of young black men in our public consciousness, and engages the national conversation around monuments and their role in telling incomplete narratives and perpetuating contemporary inequities.

Following its presentation in Times Square, the sculpture will travel to Richmond, Virginia, where it will be permanently installed at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Rumors of War, Wiley’s largest work to date, continues the artist’s career-long investigation of the politics of representation, race, gender, and power. Best known for his vibrant, large-scale portraiture, Wiley’s subjects have ranged from street-cast individuals the artist encountered while traveling around the world, to many of the most important and well-renowned African-American figures of our generation, including The Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, Carrie Mae Weems, Nick Cave, and President Barack Obama.

Rumors of War will be on view in Times Square from September 27 to December 1, 2019, and is presented by Times Square Arts in partnership with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Sean Kelly, New York.