The Cube will return to Astor Place this summer — but not before a spin to the Hamptons

Just after midnight on May 8, workers whisked away the Cube (aka Alamo) from Astor Place for repairs, with an expected return mid-summer.

As previously reported (first by THE CITY), the 1,800-pound Cube was going to Bethany, Conn., for restoration by Versteeg Art Fabricators.

The Cube had been out of commission with structural damage since December 2021. At the time, we were told that the spinning mechanism for the Cube, which manually rotates around a pole hidden in its center, was not working. 

However, before returning to its Astor Place home of 56 years, the sculpture will be making a guest appearance in the Hamptons, where its creator, Tony Rosenthal (1914–2009), lived and worked. (Rosenthal's estate is picking up the estimated repair bill of $100,000.)

According to Dan's Papers, the Cube is headed to Southampton for the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, which takes place in July. 

Per the publication:

The restored Alamo will be on display from July 10-16. Rosenthal is being inducted posthumously into the fair's Hall of Fame, so the city's commissioners voted unanimously to loan the historical piece to commemorate the occasion. 

Hamptonites may also be familiar with the similar spinning steel Rosenthal sculpture, "Cube 72," which was made in 1972 and found a prominent spot outside Guild Hall in East Hampton.

Hamptons Fine Art Fair founder and Executive Director Rick Friedman says securing the massive piece was no easy feat. "To get this loan from New York City is outrageous," he said. "It's like getting the Statue of Liberty," Friedman added, pointing out that negotiations took about a year, with a lot of back and forth, an army of lawyers and piles of paperwork. 

But, he said, it was worth the effort. 

Given its VIP reception out east, the Cube will likely not return home via the Jitney.