After a year hiatus, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s beloved rooftop garden exhibit for 2023 is now on display with an ancient Egyptian twist.
In 2022, the museum selected LA-based artist Lauren Halsey to create the site-specific installation titled the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I) for that year’s commission. However, according to the New York Times, the 2022 installation—that was supposed to run from May to October—had to be postponed a year due to “logistical issues.”
It was the first time the Cantor Roof Garden had no installation since The Roof Garden Commission series was first established in 2013. However, guests were still invited to enjoy the rooftop’s outdoor space overlooking Central Park with cocktails and lite bites.
But now, the time has finally come to see Lauren Halsey’s work in person. It will be on view from April 18th – October 22nd, 2023.
Visitors are invited to “explore [the eastside of south central los angeles hieroglyph prototype architecture (I)’s] connections to sources as varied as ancient Egyptian symbolism, 1960s utopian architecture, and contemporary visual expressions like tagging that reflect the ways in which people aspire to make public places their own.”
Stand in the 22-foot-tall architectural structure that opens to the sky, or take in the four massive sphinxes all inspired by Halsey’s family members.
Through the installation “Halsey channels The Met’s unparalleled Egyptian Art collections through the lens of Afrofuturism, while also creating a powerful form of documentation of her neighborhood in South Central Los Angeles.” The work touches on social activism, civic space, and “a reconsideration of the possibilities for architecture and community engagement,” shared a press release.
“Halsey’s activist vision offers a portal into the near future. She has created a monument to living architecture, carved exquisitely with a pictographic vernacular that meshes ancient hieroglyphs with the visual motifs of her home and community,” said Sheena Wagstaff, Leonard A. Lauder Chair of Modern and Contemporary Art. “Like the ancient Egyptians, she anticipates a meaningful afterlife for her work, which will be displayed in South Central Los Angeles after its debut at The Met.”
Learn more on the Met’s website here.
Where: 1000 5th Ave., New York