Brian Lawson
Google
The sculpture, Wake, is the brainchild of Mel Chin, a multifaceted artist, filmmaker, and environmentalist who seeks to spark conversations around social issues through his conceptual work. This piece, Wake, depicts Jenny Lind, a renowned opera singer from the 19th century, who gained fame in the film The Greatest Showman. Born in Sweden, Jenny Lind rose from poverty to become a celebrated opera singer, known as the Swedish Nightingale.
At the pinnacle of her career in the 1850s, she toured the United States under the auspices of P.T. Barnum, a prominent circus owner. Her popularity was so profound that a clipper ship, USS Nightingale, was named in her honor, with its masthead fashioned in her likeness. However, the Nightingale had a dark history as a slave trader.
This dichotomy is where the concept intersects with social issues. On the Atlanta BeltLine, Jenny is positioned facing the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. on Auburn Avenue.