Capital One Center Unveils 'For Which It Stands' by Mickael Broth
Mickael Broth, For Which It Stands, 2026. Welded aluminum and enamel.
Capital One recently commissioned Richmond-based artist Mickael Broth to complete For Which It Stands (2026), a welded aluminum and enamel obelisk-shaped sculpture located in the middle of Metro Park. This sculpture is part of the growing collection of large-scale artworks at Capital One Center that can be enjoyed by visitors.
An obelisk, or a tapered pillar that ends in a point, is an historically recognizable form that originated in ancient Egypt. Broth reinterpreted the obelisk by piercing the sculpture with his signature organic forms that harken to his graffiti aesthetic. Lit at night from the inside, the sculpture serves as a beacon and symbol of aspiration. Broth writes, “Having grown up in DC and the surrounding suburbs, the Washington Monument looms large in my memory. While the obelisk is an obvious reference to the enduring influence of ancient Egyptian culture, the form is part of a prehistoric use of a vertical line representing a link between the earth and the sky. My work is rooted in finding these universal symbols that exist across times and cultures and attempting to understand their continued relevance in our present lives.”
Based in Richmond, Virginia, Mickael Broth is an artist, muralist and writer who is also known as The Night Owl. Broth earned a BFA in painting and printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University and is the recipient of a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts professional fellowship. Broth’s work, which includes fine art and public murals, has been exhibited in museums, galleries, and abandoned buildings nationwide. The author of Murals of Richmond (Richmond, VA: Chop Suey Books Books, 2018) and the self-published Gated Community: Graffiti and Incarceration (2014), Broth completed his first public art commission for the Hull Street Branch of the Richmond Public Library. Broth’s murals can be found all over Virginia, especially in Richmond, Virginia where he lives and works.
Capital One Center is a 35 acre mixed-use development in the heart of Tysons, VA. Anchored by the headquarters of Capital One, Washington DC’s hometown bank, and home to its over 13,500 associates in the region, Capital One Center is quickly transforming the skyline and the cultural landscape of Fairfax County. This 3 million sq. ft. development is a vibrant arts & entertainment destination which includes a large skypark, The Perch—complete with Starr Hill Biergarten, food trucks, and an 18-hole miniature golf course, Perch Putt—and a 300-all-suite hotel, The Watermark Hotel, numerous retail and dining options, and most notably a world-class corporate events and performing arts center, Capital One Hall. In 2023 Capital One Park opened doors to a baseball stadium which hosts college, high school, and tournament games. The most recent addition is Metro Park, a large outdoor plaza complete with pickleball courts and an outdoor skating rink in the winter. Capital One Center is located 500 steps from the McLean Metro Station.
