Nikigator

{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}{{short description|Outdoor mosaic sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle}}

{{Infobox artwork

| title = Nikigator

| image = San Diego, 2016 - 312.jpg

| artist = Niki de Saint Phalle

| year = {{start date|2000}}

| medium = Polyurethane foam, resin, tumbled stones, ceramics

| subject = Alligator

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| museum = Mingei International Museum

| city = San Diego {{Flagicon image|Flag of San Diego, California.svg|size=23px}}

| coordinates = {{coord|32|43|52|N|117|9|4|W|type:landmark_region:US_dim:55|display=inline,title}}

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| website = [http://www.mingei.org/ mingei.org]

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-zoom = 13

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}}Nikigator is a permanent public artwork by Franco‑American sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle, installed at the entrance of the Mingei International Museum in San Diego, California. Created in 2000, the more than 5,000-pound mosaic sculpture depicts a hollow alligator covered in vibrant tiles, mirrored glass, and colorful stones.{{Cite web |last=Schulte |first=Richard |date=2014-10-06 |title=Colorful mosaic sculptures near Mingei Museum. |url=https://coolsandiegosights.com/2014/10/05/colorful-mosaic-sculptures-near-mingei-museum/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Cool San Diego Sights! |language=en}}

Description

Standing several feet high and wide, Nikigator is constructed from a steel armature coated with polyurethane foam and resin.{{Cite web |last=Diego |first=Debbie L. Sklar • Times of San |date=2019-07-16 |title=Beloved Mingei Sculpture 'Nikigator' Temporarily Headed to Liberty Station |url=http://timesofsandiego.com/arts/2019/07/15/beloved-mingei-sculpture-nikigator-temporarily-headed-to-liberty-station/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=Times of San Diego |language=en-US}} Its mosaic surface comprises tumbled stones sourced internationally; including marbles from Guadalajara and turquoise from the U.S.{{Cite web |title=The Magic of Niki de Saint Phalle |url=https://www.sandiego.org/articles/arts-culture/the-magic-of-niki-de-saint-phalle.aspx |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=www.sandiego.org |language=en-US}}

Saint Phalle designed the piece to be tactile and accessible to viewers, particularly children, elementally combining whimsy and scale intended for physical play. {{cite web |date=7 May 2021 |title=Packet for PAC Meeting 05‑07‑21, page 23 |url=https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/packet_for_pac_meeting_05-07-21.pdf |access-date=25 June 2025 |publisher=City of San Diego}}

Near by to the other installed sculptures located at Balboa Park, the San Diego Museum of Art's May S. Marcy Sculpture Garden{{Cite web |title=The Keeper of Niki de Saint Phalle's Menagerie |url=https://mingei.org/stories/sculpture/the-keeper-of-niki-de-saint-phalles-menagerie |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=mingei.org |language=en-US}}

Commissioning and history

Originally commissioned after the success of a mosaic alligator sent to Jerusalem Biblical Zoo’s Noah’s Ark project, Nikigator served as a homegrown companion piece for the Mingei.{{Cite web |title=Niki de Saint Phalle |url=https://mingei.org/exhibitions/niki-de-saint-phalle-1 |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=mingei.org |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Magazine |first=San Diego |date=2021-07-08 |title=The Nikigator Returns to the Mingei International Museum |url=https://sandiegomagazine.com/things-to-do/the-nikigator-returns-to-the-mingei-international-museum/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=San Diego Magazine |language=en-US}} The museum’s founder, Martha Longenecker, was closely connected to the artist and championed this piece as a permanent outdoor installation.:{{Cite journal |title=NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE (1930-2002) |url=https://dianedepolignac.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/biography-niki-de-saint-phalle-en.pdf |journal=Galerie Diane de Polignac}}{{Cite web |last=Harrison |first=Donald H. |date=2022-05-22 |title=A Jewish Tour of Balboa Park |url=https://www.sdjewishworld.com/2022/05/22/a-jewish-tour-of-balboa-park/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=San Diego Jewish World |language=en-US}}

Conservation and care

Due to its outdoor installation and public interaction, Nikigator requires ongoing care. While detailed maintenance logs are managed by the Mingei and its conservators, this effort mirrors how Saint Phalle's other San Diego installations—like Queen Califia’s Magical Circle—are preserved:

The 5,000-pound sculpture was moved to Liberty Station in July 2019 for safety while the Mingei Museum underwent renovation. It returned by crane after the museum reopened to the public.{{Cite web |title=Previous Public Art Installations |url=https://artsdistrictlibertystation.org/art-in-public-places/past-public-art/ |access-date=2025-04-16 |website=Arts District Liberty Station |language=en-US}}

Reception

Locally, Nikigator has been celebrated as a playful and engaging work of public art, with visitors drawn to its vivid coloration and tactile appeal. Mingei officials describe it as a "beacon" reestablished following its return in 2021{{Cite web |title=Jessica Hemmings – Rob Sidner of Mingei International Museum |url=https://www.jessicahemmings.com/rob-sidner-of-mingei-international-museum |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=www.jessicahemmings.com}}{{Cite web |last=X |last2=X |last3=Email |date=2019-03-10 |title=A guide to the San Diego sites that make it unlike any other |url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-san-diego-swarm-20190310-htmlstory.html |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}

File:Schwäbisch Hall-Kunsthalle Würth- Niki de Saint Phalle-03.jpg|In front of the Kunsthalle Würth in Schwäbisch-Hall (2011)

File:Nikigator von Niki de Saint Phalle.jpg|Photographed at the Kunsthalle Würth in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. The sculpture is part of the Forum Würth collection, based in Rorschach, Switzerland.