Vessel — an interactive sculpture

 

A trip always lifts one's spirits, brings new ideas, and spurs us to grow... In July 2026, I had the opportunity to visit New York with my family—my husband and daughters. It was a wonderful experience, and we visited places that inspired psychoanalytic reflections.
We might begin with the Vessel—an interactive sculpture designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick and opened in 2019. It blends a metallic structure, open spaces, and staircases spanning 16 levels, all located within Hudson Yards, a real estate redevelopment project on the banks of the Hudson River.
The word "vessel" can mean a container, a ship, or a receptacle; to the eye, it also resembles a honeycomb. Like any vessel, it is an empty container. What lies inside?
Inside, we encounter stairs, metal, openings, emptiness, and the wind. In a society defined by constant motion, a myriad of screens, saturated spaces, gadgets, and visual and auditory pollution, the structure created by Heatherwick truly evokes a sense of the uncanny. Stairs instead of escalators. What is the destination? The void. With so many skyscrapers in the city, the Vessel does not reach a height that offers a prime view of Manhattan; why visit it?
It is an experience. It is a moment to test one's endurance—climbing so many flights of stairs is no easy task. And the Vessel—since its "voyage" began on the banks of the Hudson in 2019, it has seen fatal accidents and served as the site of three suicides; this speaks volumes about its structure. Psychoanalysts Freud and Lacan reflect that confronting the void is what causes people the most anguish. Quite rightly, as a safety measure, the structure was enclosed with protective netting to guard against this human impulse.
Society encourages entertainment, distractions, and consumption. But when are we left alone with ourselves? In the void, what do we think? What do we feel? What do we find? Vessel goes against the grain of the usual and makes us reflect... An unusual experience on the banks of the Hudson River!


Fabiana Ratti, psychoanalyst

* The giant bear near Vessel in New York is part of an art installation titled "Love Matters... Everywhere" by artist Brendan Murphy; it is a giant teddy bear made of carbon fiber with a reflective chrome finish, covered in colorful formulas and symbols.