World Trade Center Tapestry by Joan Miro
20th century | 20' x 35'
Second World Trade Center | New York, U.S.A.
DESTROYED ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

Even if one yearns to go back much further in the past, when the twin towers stood majestically and defined the New York skyline, the memory of the World Trade Center seems to begin only from September 11, 2001. It was this day that the world will always associate with the annihilated grandeur of twin towers and with the screams of people shouting for their lives, and for that of others.

The United States of America had sustained much bigger losses during the Civil War and the world wars than what was incurred in the World Trade Center disaster. However, it was the shock which was more overwhelming than the above mentioned wars, for there was no notice of the lurking terror attack and not even in the remotest thought was anyone was prepared for such a catastrophe, both mental and physical. Moreover, it did not happen in the wilderness of a battlefield or a faraway city under war threat. The satellite channels and the Internet shrunk the world so much so that every soul witnessed the horror helplessly in his living room.

Though the loss of life is incomparable & bigger than any other damage, almost all the industries suffered immensely due to this tragedy, art being one of them. Dietrich von Frank, president of the art insurance firm AXA Art reported that art worth at least $ 100 million was destroyed in the attack, if all the private and corporate collections, installed in the various offices in the Twin Towers, are evaluated. In fact, the art displayed in the public areas would alone value more than $ 10 million. The loss of so many art works in one blow is tremendous and irreparable.

The works that were quite valuable were a painted wood relief by Louise Nevelson that was displayed in the mezzanine of One World Trade Center, a painting by Roy Lichtenstein from his famous "Entablature" series from the 1970s hung in the lobby of Seven World Trade Center, a bright-red 25-foot sculpture on the Vesey Street overpass by Alexander Calder at Seven World Trade Center, and Joan Miro's "World Trade Center" tapestry from 1974 that was on display in the mezzanine of Two World Trade Center.

The tapestry mentioned above was one of the best works of Joan Miro, a Spanish surrealist painter, sculptor, ceramicist and print maker (1893-1983). Measuring 20’ x 35,’ tapestry was displayed in the mezzanine of Two World Trade Center.

Reproduction printed courtesy of Douglas Advertising Company, Knoxville, TN.