In 2013, artist and designer Antonio Pio Saracino created two colossal sculptures in Manhattan’s Bryant Park from a digitally generated architectural composition to celebrate the Year of Italian Culture—Hero, made of 8,000 pounds of marble, nods to Michelangelo’s David and stands near Superhero, made of 15,000 pounds of stainless steel.

An encounter with the pieces feels like stepping onto an action-film set—yet they also appear at home among the glassy skyscrapers. This spring, “The Guardians at Ten Years” exhibition celebrate Saracino’s work with the The Guardians: Hero & Superhero sculptures at 3 Bryant Park as the centerpiece of the show.