Found on the High Line near West 30th Street, a towering pink sculpture has been turning heads and drenching passersby alike. The piece, which resembles a foot to most, or something more suggestive to others, has garnered citywide attention, sparking debates on whether the piece deserves a spot on one of New York’s most significant tourist landmarks.
Officially titled “Foot Fountain (pink),” the 10-foot-tall work was created by Argentine artists Mika Rottenberg and installed in April 2025 as part of High Line Art, the rotating public art program run by Friends of the High Line. Expected to run until May 2026, the bright pink foot allows visitors to pedal a mechanism which activates a fountain, spraying water from the top of the structure.
However, while the foot does provide much-needed relief from the scorching summer heat, it has come under scrutiny for what some view as its phallic nature, whether intentional or unintentional. The piece, extremely straight and narrow, is complete with red-lipped mouths and protruding tongues, spraying water from its top…