Sculpture honoring trans, gender nonconforming communities unveiled in New York City

Artist Rubem Robierb’s sleek white sculpture of massive butterfly wings certainly makes a statement.

"In tribute to the strength and bravery of the trans [and gender nonconforming] community, ‘Dandara’ has an important message and meaning," Robierb said at the unveiling on Monday in New York City. "I felt that New York City was a place to showcase this on a public scale."

Robierb named the piece "Dandara," after a 42-year-old transgender woman who was brutally attacked and murdered in Fortaleza, Brazil, in 2017.

The 10-foot-high fiberglass wings are13 feet long and 4 feet wide and are fixed on a steel and concrete base, where there is a place for viewers to position themselves between the butterfly wings. The piece was designed for the public to interact with the sculpture.

The sculpture will be on display at Tribeca Park from Nov. 4, 2019 to May 4, 2020.