Hammering Man

Jonathan Borofsky's 'Hammering Man' has stood 14.6 metres tall in front of the Seattle Art Museum since 1991, a motor-driven steel figure that lifts and lowers a hammer in slow mechanical cadence throughout the working day. It is part of an international series dedicated to anonymous manual workers, with siblings installed in Frankfurt, Basel, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Seoul (in front of the Heungkuk Life Insurance building at Gwanghwamun), each in slightly different dimensions. Since its installation the sculpture has served as the Seattle Art Museum's de facto civic emblem and a landmark meditation on labour, art, and public space.

Exhibition Venue

Seattle Art Museum

Seattle, United States