WhIsBe at WTC
Rewind, the large-scale installation created by artist WhIsBe on South Oculus Plaza at the World Trade Center, showcases six sculptures ranging from 6 to 16 feet tall. Previously, the space exhibited world-renowned artists Gillie and Marc’s wildlife sculpture installation, which was a popular destination for both locals and visitors to stop by and snap photos with the animal sculptures.
This exhibit invites New Yorkers to reconnect with their sense of wonder by reimagining familiar oversized childhood toys as symbols that explore nostalgia, scale, and the complexities of adulthood.
Enlarged to architectural proportions, these oversized childhood toys transcend whimsy, becoming striking meditations on innocence, resilience, and the surreal passage of time set in a space of large and iconic proportions of the World Trade Center.
We spoke to WhIsBe, the artist behind Rewind to learn more about the exhibit, creative process and his background.
1. Can you tell us about yourself and/or career journey?
I was born in the city and lived there for the first few years and then was raised in Westchester. I went back into the city as soon as I could when I was 18 to live my own life.
My passion for art started at a young age, but when I was in school, I was taught that if you can’t paint or draw what you see, you’re not a good artist, so by the curriculum, I was not talented or what would be perceived as a successful artist or anything of the sorts. I kind of forgot about my passion for a few years because in my head I wasn’t good at it. Years later, I had a friend who was a big graffiti writer and asked if I wanted to be his lookout. I was always into the graffiti art scene, so when my friend asked me that, he saw my eyes light up. I was like rather than just be my lookout, we should go out together, do our own thing. I was hooked.
I describe myself as a pop contemporary artist. My background started with street art, graffiti and transitioned into more of the gallery, fine art space as a multi-disciplinarian artist. I work with painting, silk screening, sculptures, whether it’s fiberglass, resin, metal -- lots of different mediums.
2. Where does your inspiration stem from to create your sculptures?
A common motif in street art is the mugshot. I wanted to create a piece that started a narrative and a dialogue and a platform for conversations, so I figured if I judge the pose, the innocence of a gummy bear against the Department of Corrections, it would kind of tell a narrative of what happened. I like for people to think of a day in their life where they wouldn’t be where they are today if it wasn’t for that day happening. That’s the significance of the date for me, but I keep that to myself and let people tell their own story.
There’s a ton of artists that inspire me in different ways. There are more culturally relevant artists that I really gravitate towards, such as Warhol and Basquiat. Then you have other guys like John Badessari, who’s a big influence for me, and Frank Stella sculptures.
3. What do you hope visitors walk away from the sculptures feeling?
I hope that it stops somebody in their tracks and for at least that moment they think about something different than they would have before. That’s what I loved about street art and graffiti is you go about minding your own business and suddenly, something catches your eye and it changes your train of thought.
As much as I appreciate the installation being captured on social media, for me, art is also a way to “touch grass” and disconnect from the digital world and connect with the thought of what it might mean to me or being lost in space.
4. How did you decide to exhibit your sculptures at the World Trade Center? Any significance for the location for these sculptures?
Being born and raised in New York, I think as an artist, being able to become a part of the global culture community and giving back by being a part of people’s experience. Similarly to when I first moved to the city and I was exposed to other artists and artwork and how it was integrated and really became a part of my overall DNA and relationship with the city. It’s special to be on both sides of that from somebody that experienced it to somebody that’s able to give back to other people’s experiences, their association with culture and their relationship with the city.
5. What is your process of making these sculptures?
The creative process is an interesting one. Sometimes the ideas come right away, sometimes I just sit with them, and over time they unfold in their own way. This project started with my landmark vandal gummy bear sculpture and then I realized given the setting and the stage of where I was doing the installation, I wanted to create a more immersive experience and consistent theme.
Rewind is recreating a kid’s playroom from the experience of an adult. A lot of these sculptures are inspired by the Museum of Natural History. The creative process for me is starting with an ideating on a concept and bouncing around and seeing where I land and what feels right. Producing them is another story where I land on a final concept and do renderings. Then, if I go into production, depending on how I’m producing it, whether it’s metal or fiberglass and what scale will also depend on what I need to do to get to that point, which is also fun. When I get to the final stage of prototyping, sometimes it isn’t until I see something created in physical form that I still want to make changes. The creative process is long and constantly changing. The process for this installation took 12-18 months from when I toured the space to installation.
6. Where will the sculptures go after their year at WTC?
The sculptures are going off to various homes. Some collectors have purchased some of the sculptures, so they’ll be going to some collections. I would like to work with some local communities, like a children’s hospital, to donate some pieces. It’s not fully committed to where the whole installation will go yet.
7. Anything else you want people to know?
If I were to step back and look from a bird’s eye at the beginning of my career -- how did I end up in the World Trade Center? I would look at how did I step-by-step put in the work and effort to get to that place and the building blocks that got me here, which is what inspired the New York City building blocks piece.
Also, don’t let anybody tell you no, and I know it gets said a million times, but we are forgetful. Don’t let anyone tell you no. Why can’t you be the one doing that thing at some point? You never know where the journey is going to bring you, and just follow that path.
Be sure to stop by the sculptures that will be on the WTC campus until November 2026 snap a photo and explore your sense of whimsy.
