XO WORLD Project by Daniel Anderson
Artist Daniel Anderson created the XO WORLD Project to promote equality, unity, peace, and love through large scale sculptures. The two monumental sculptures – ‘XO World’ and ‘XO Play’ – were unveiled on the 40-year milestone of World Peace Day, September 21, 2021, at the World Trade Center campus in New York City.
www.xoworldproject.com
The XO World sculpture is inspired by the universal game of Jacks, which dates back to ancient times and has created happiness amongst various cultures worldwide. The ‘X’ of the sculpture illustrates the Jack with crossed arms each representing the four pillars of XO WORLD Project – equality, unity, peace, and love; and also represents “Love” in sign language. The ‘O’ is represented by a globe bringing humanity together as one. Made from 20,000 lbs. of stainless steel, XO World is 12-feet high and spans 24-feet long, towering above standing viewers. A focal point for tourists from around the world, it is located at One World Trade Center on the West Plaza at 285 Fulton Street.
The complimentary XO Play sculpture depicts children engaged in the game of Jacks. Reminiscent of childhood innocence and harmonious coexistence, it acts as a powerful metaphor of all races uniting, the accepting nature of children, and offers a vision of a better global society for generations to come. The “cross-armed” Jack is a continuation in design from the ‘X’ of XO World. A little girl holds a ball reflective of the globe (‘O’ of XO World) in her hand and anticipates the opportunities that symbolically lie in front of her; envisioning the impact she makes on society will depend on her own actions.
Together, the XO World and XO Play sculptures symbolize a message of inclusiveness, hope and positivity. This historical context and sentiment from an iconic landmark was meant to resonate with the masses through artistic expression. This use of iconography and symbolism is meant to connect with the hearts and minds of the people as well as motivate them to interact with the sculptures. The dramatic juxtaposition of scale in this work was meant to minimize the scale of its viewers, making the impact and importance of its message that much bigger. The combination of the outdoor XO World and indoor XO Play sculptures are intended to ignite a global “Share the Love” movement embracing equality, unity, peace, and love.
www.xoworldproject.com
MISSION STATEMENT
It is the mission of XO World Project Foundation to improve the quality of life for women and children in poor underserved communities around the world by providing essential healthcare. Improving the quality of healthcare delivery by training local healthcare professionals and offering sustainable solutions for hospital infrastructure through program assistance and medical equipment donation. XO World Project Foundation is equally committed to combating the cycle of poverty that contributes to poor health by contributing material assistance to help increase access to clean water, sustainable food sources through dry season farming technology, and preventing cervical cancer and other diseases by and expanding community health outreach programs.
FOUNDER & ARTIST
Contemporary abstract sculptor and painter Daniel Anderson was born and raised in Pompton Plains, NJ. His interest and passion for art began at an early age and led him to be recruited and to receive a scholarship to attend the College of Visual & Performing Arts at Syracuse University in New York. He also studied in Florence, Italy, and was the sole artist selected from NYC to participate in an annual residency program in Melbourne, Australia.
Continuing with his early childhood obsessions with cubism (Picasso), futurism (Boccioni), and surrealism (Dali), Anderson started to push the boundaries of abstraction as it applies to movement, form, and the compositional elements of matter.
Daniel’s vision and work is inspired by highly mechanical and mathematical methods, which allows his work to transcend traditional forms, exhibited in his signature sculpted canvas Diffusion Series or his Metaphysical Rose Anatomies.
His artistic expression will not only allow his work to expand across multiple platforms and disciplines, but also provide intriguing visual experiences in all scales and mediums.
