About Reclining Liberty

Reclining Liberty is made of plaster resin, foam, wood, and steel. It's covered with a coating of oxidized copper paint that makes it look like the actual Statue of Liberty. It weighs between 2,500 and 3,000 pounds.

 
Reclining Liberty's pose was inspired by Asia's Buddha statues. Photo courtesy of the Arlington Neighbors Helping Each Other Facebook page

The Meaning of Reclining Liberty

Reclining Liberty was inspired by the giant reclining Buddha statues in Asia, which are meant to represent Buddha in one of the stages of his path to enlightenment.

"By merging the traditional Buddhist reclining pose and the quintessential American figurative symbol, Reclining Liberty asks the viewer to contemplate the status of the ideals the Statue of Liberty represents," co-sponsors MoCA Arlington and Arlington Arts said in a news release.

Landsberg told the Washington Post that the Statue of Liberty means a lot to him because he comes from an immigrant family. His hope is that Reclining Liberty will inspire viewers to think about the ideals of immigration, freedom, and patriotism.

Why You Should Take Kids to See Reclining Liberty

Unlike many of the famous monuments and memorials in DC, kids are allowed to—and even encouraged to—touch and climb on Reclining Liberty.

"I love that the work brings the Statue down to the eye level and reach of the public," MoCA Arlington Curator of Exhibitions Blair Murphy said in a news release. "Its playfulness and accessibility suggest that the ideals of liberty and freedom represented by the Statue of Liberty are active, tangible, and evolving and need to be directly engaged with, debated, and defended."

On a more superficial level, just think of the awesome Instagram photos you can get!

Reclining Liberty will be in Arlington through July 2024. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Arlington

How to Visit Reclining Liberty

Reclining Liberty is located on the front lawn of MoCA Arlington at Maury Park and will be there until July 28, 2024. The address is 3550 Wilson Blvd in Arlington, Virginia, and it is completely free to visit.

A series of public programs will accompany the statue's yearlong residency at MoCA Arlington. Keep checking our DC events calendar to see when they'll take place!