NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--XO World Project today announced it will display two monumental sculptures in New York City to celebrate World Peace Day on September 21, 2021. To promote equality, unity, peace, and love, artist Daniel Anderson created the XO World sculpture and its companion, the XO Play sculpture. Both represent new public artworks that will be located on the World Trade Center campus.
“As our society faces unprecedented challenges stemming from a global pandemic, economic recovery, racial inequity, and territorial conflicts, World Peace Day offers the perfect backdrop to unveil these two inspiring sculptures intended to bring people together,” said Anderson.
The XO World sculpture is 12 foot in height and 24 feet long. It is inspired by the game of jacks, which is played by many cultures worldwide and dates to approximately 2,000 years ago. The “X” is illustrated by the “Jack” with crossed arms attached to the spoke, representing LOVE in universal sign language. The “O” in the “XO” is represented by the globe. The XO World will be installed in front of One World Trade Center on the West Plaza at 285 Fulton Street.
The XO Play is a sculpture of multi-racial children engaged in the game of jacks. This is reminiscent of our childhood’s innocent and harmonious co-existence with friends and effortless ability to make new friends. XO Play will be installed in the Oculus at World Trade next to the 911 Memorial. By choosing New York City for its debut, the XO World Project aims to propel a message of hope, resilience, and inclusion.
“I am excited to showcase these sculptures in New York City, the epicenter of the world, and encourage people of all ages to share the love,” added Anderson. “My inspiration for these sculptures came from children and their open acceptance of others. A child’s mind and heart are free of prejudice regardless of race, gender, or religion, which is how we should all strive to emulate.”
The combination of the outdoor XO World and indoor XO Play sculptures are intended to ignite a global “Share the Love” movement embracing equality, unity, peace, and love. Anderson’s goal is to bring people together for future generations.
“We are proud to partner with XO World Project to bring public art back to the World Trade Center,” said Jonathan (Jody) Durst, President of The Durst Organization. “We hope Daniel Anderson’s message of unity and peace will inspire everyone who sees XO World.”
It is XO World Project’s unwavering belief that children have the power to change the course of the future through strong community, hope, peace for a better tomorrow. XO World Project has partnered with charitable organization Operation International Kids whose mission is to make difference in medical care for those in need. Additional support for the New York City launch includes The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and The Durst Organization.
“Share the Love” Social Media Campaign
XO World Project is encouraging visitors to take a selfie in front of the XO World sculpture at One World Trade Center, posing with arms crossed over their chest to replicate the ‘X-O’ sculpture and post on social media using the hashtag #SharetheLove.
Ribbon Cutting Event
The XO World and indoor XO Play sculptures will be officially unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 21 at 3:00 PM at One World Trade Center and 4:00 PM inside the Oculus World Trade (3-minute walk).
Future Installations
XO World Project plans to install the XO World and XO Play sculptures in Paris in 2022, and in London, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Dubai thereafter.
ABOUT XO World Project
In 2017, artist Daniel Anderson created XO World Project to encourage people to “Share the Love” through sculptures representing the innocence of children and their open acceptance of others. The XO World Project aims to inspire people worldwide to actively seek peace, love, and inclusion by engaging with the play principles of youth when all races, ages, genders, religions, and nationalities are welcomed. To learn more about XO World Project, visit: www.XOWorldProject.com. To learn more about Daniel Anderson, visit: https://www.danielandersonart.com.