Internationally acclaimed artist and Cranbrook Academy of Art alum Nick Cave chose Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids as the permanent home of his 26-foot Amalgam (Origin) sculpture – his first ever public outdoor sculpture.
Installed in October 2025, this work will expand and diversify Meijer Gardens’ permanent collection of more than 300 international sculptures.
Amalgam (Origin) is an evolution, on a colossal scale of 26 feet tall, of Nick Cave’s iconic Soundsuits—spectacular forms blending fashion and sculpture that were created in response to the beating of Rodney King by police in 1991. Though they originated as a form of protection, the Soundsuits have since developed into vehicles for empowerment, with Cave having made hundreds in varying shapes and materials, all based on the scale of his own body.
