
November 1st marks the beginning of National Native American Heritage Month, and to honor the month a 30-foot-tall steel sculpture can be seen in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Titled In every language there is Land / En cada lengua hay una Tierra, the steel sculpture is artist Nicholas Galanin’s first public commission in NYC.
As an Indigenous person himself, Galanin practices subsistence in his homeland, Sitka, Alaska, and strongly believes all life is deeply connected to land.
Constructed from the same steel tubing used to construct the U.S.-Mexico border wall–also echoing its 30-foot height–the metal sculpture spells out LAND in a format reminiscent of Robert Indiana’s iconic 1966 LOVE sculpture.
According to Public Art Fund, the artwork reflects on the continued legacy of colonization and occupation of land, water, and life and is seen as a way to “protest politically imposed divisions that obstruct the free movement of people and other life forms in favor of colonial interests.”
Artist Nicholas Galanin stated:
Indigenous care for Land and community is rooted in connection based on mutual sustainability. Rather than nationalism or capital, this perspective always embodies a deep respect for life beyond any single generation. In every language there is Land / En cada lengua hay una Tierra questions barriers to Land, which directly reflect barriers to love, love for Land, community, and future generations.
In every language there is Land is on display at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Empire Fulton Ferry Lawn now through March 10th, 2024.