Gaetano Pesce's final sculpture, "Double Heart," has been installed as his only permanent public artwork in the United States. The 30-foot-tall illuminated piece, featuring two interlocking hearts pierced by Cupid's arrow, now hovers above the Massachusetts Turnpike at the Lyrik Back Bay plaza in Boston. Commissioned by developer Samuels & Associates and art advisory Goodman Taft, the work was overseen by gallerist Lucy Chadwick of Champ Lacombe after Pesce's death in early 2024. The sculpture reflects Pesce's signature blend of playfulness and humanism, contrasting with the rigid geometry of modernist design.
The installation matters because it marks the culmination of Pesce's career-long effort to bring emotionally resonant, accessible art into public space. As his only permanent public sculpture in the U.S., "Double Heart" extends his legacy of challenging architectural conventions—seen previously at the Aspen Art Museum and Bottega Veneta—into a civic context. The work also embodies Pesce's belief in diversity and connection, offering a beacon of warmth and dialogue in a historic Boston neighborhood.