At A Glance
On the occasion of Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S., the Association for Public Art and the Philadelphia Museum of Art brought Robert Indiana’s AMOR to Philadelphia
AMOR means “love” in both Pope Francis’s native Spanish and the Church’s traditional Latin
Artist Robert Indiana is the artist behind the iconic LOVE sculpture, located in nearby LOVE Park
[Robert Indiana] created this Latin/Spanish version of the sculpture in response to the changing demographics of the US and his desire to speak to his fellow citizens.
On the occasion of the 2015 World Meeting of Families and Pope Francis’ visit to the U.S., the Philadelphia Museum of Art in partnership with the Association for Public Art presented the installation of Robert Indiana’s AMOR atop the Museum’s famous steps, where the sculpture overlooked the Papal Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. AMOR – which means “love” in both Pope Francis’ native Spanish and the Church’s traditional Latin – was on loan from the Morgan Art Foundation, courtesy of Simon and Marc Salama-Caro, and remained on view atop the steps through October 23, 2016.
AMOR is now permanently installed in Philadelphia’s Sister Cities Park at 18th Street and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The sculpture was formally dedicated at its new location on December 2, 2016.
Robert Indiana is the artist behind the iconic LOVE (1976) sculpture, located in nearby LOVE Park. He created this Latin/Spanish version of the sculpture in response to the changing demographics of the U.S. and his desire to speak to his fellow citizens. As a permanent part of the City of Philadelphia’s public art collection, AMOR serves as a companion artwork to LOVE.
The permanent installation of AMOR was made possible through the generosity of the City of Philadelphia, the Morgan Art Foundation, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Mrs. Edith R. Dixon, and the Association for Public Art.
Did you know that AMOR is a sculpture, not a statue? A statue is a specific kind of sculpture – one that represents a person or animal (figurative). All statues are sculptures, but not all sculptures are statues!
Founded in 1872, the Association for Public Art commissions, preserves, promotes and interprets public art in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is Philadelphia’s art museum: a landmark building with world-class collections, exhibitions and programs. For information about Robert Indiana, visit robertindiana.com.
Thanks to Philadelphia Parks & Recreation for their support!
RESOURCES:
Voices heard in the program:
Robert Indiana (1928-2018), heard on archival recording, is the American painter, sculptor, and graphic artist who created AMOR.
Margot Berg is the former Public Art Director for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, which oversees Indiana’s AMOR and LOVE sculptures.
Father Dennis Gill is Rector and Pastor of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, located across from AMOR.
Fernando Mendez is a journalist and founding member of the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Mexican Cultural Center.
Segment Producer: Anne Hoffman
A program of the Association for Public Art (formerly the Fairmount Park Art Association), Museum Without Walls: AUDIO is an innovative and accessible outdoor sculpture audio program for Philadelphia’s preeminent collection of public art.
A “multi-platform” interactive audio experience – available for free by cell phone, mobile app, or on our website – Museum Without Walls: AUDIO offers the unique histories that are not typically expressed on outdoor permanent signage.
Unlike audio tours that have a single authoritative guide or narrator, each speaker featured in Museum Without Walls: AUDIO is an “authentic voice” – someone who is connected to the sculpture by knowledge, experience, or affiliation.
Over 150 unique voices are featured, including artists, educators, scientists, writers, curators, civic leaders, and historians.
This artwork is part of the Along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway tour
