While sauntering through 5^th Avenue on Wednesday, I noticed a huge work of art in the beautiful hue of Tiffany Blue. The range in levels of depth on the inside looks like the bottom of a high heel shoe, the shape of it looks like a bathtub, then, I saw the details; a ladder, diving board, and pool lights along the interior walls. . . It’s a pool!

It wasn’t until I read the exhibit description that I realized it was Van Gogh’s ear! Vincent Van Gogh was a Dutch painter who now has “an almost immeasurable impact on art and culture,” but while he was alive his artwork was not appreciated; he only sold one painting and died penniless.

Van Gogh cut off (a piece of) his ear on December 23, 1888 after an argument with his friend, French artist Paul Gauguin. Almost 2 years later (on July 27, 1890) he shot himself in a suicide attempt, and died 2 days later. In between cutting off a portion of his ear and his death, Van Gogh spent a year in a mental asylum, where he created one of his most famous paintings; The Starry Night (located at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City).

Van Gogh’s Ear, created by artists Elmgreen and Dragset, is on display in NYC on the 5^th Avenue entrance to the Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center. It arrived on April 13 and will be available for viewing until June 3, 2016, before heading to its next destination in China.

If you’re going to be in New York City while (and even after) Van Gogh’s Ear is on display, I highly recommend walking up 5^th Avenue, which has flagship stores of all the best brands, stopping along the way to admire the artwork and unique architecture, before arriving at Central Park South where another adventure begins!