In this yearlong activation, Brooklyn artists Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine, Deborah Kass, Kameelah Janan Rasheed, and Hank Willis Thomas present their work in our public spaces—the plaza green, steps, and promenade outside and the lobby within—emphasizing the Museum as a civic space for conversation and learning. Through their text-based works, these artists use language, questions, and humor to engage topics ranging from national debates to local community issues, sparking dialogue around some of the most pressing questions of our time and inspiring us to listen, share with one another, and connect through art.

Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine’s fence weaving, similar to those on view across the borough, sits on the promenade above the glass entrance pavilion in a direct entreaty to visitors that subtly questions neighborhood power dynamics. Deborah Kass’s vibrant yellow OY/YO sculpture seeks to evoke joy and unity in its playful monumentalizing of classic New York slang. Kameelah Janan Rasheed’s two site-specific installations use questions and prepositions to give voice to a sense of individual and collective identity in a time of upheaval. Hank Willis Thomas’s neon installation speaks out for love and compassion, despite personal pain and loss.