“New York – I’m connected. This is my core. I feel like if I’m not connected to New York, then I don’t even know what to do with myself.”–Jay-Z
This is the 100th year of the Museum of the City of New York. Tucked away in East Harlem next to El Museo del Barrio, the museum has always housed an impressive collection of photography. For New Yorkers, especially, the museum has held a treasure-trove of our history and culture. Not always given the wider attention it deserves, the MCNY has always been a powerhouse.
Marking its inaugural photography triennial, “New York Now: Home,” the curatorial team solicited images from over a 1000 artists, and found its way down to 33 individuals whom they chose to represent “home” in all of its fluid manifestations. Some of the artists are established and known, while others are emerging. The curators Sean Corcoran and Thea Quiray Tagle have presented us with an array of representation, as diverse and innovative as the city itself.
Featuring the work of established artists such as Anders Jones, Linda Troeller, Maureen Drennan and Jamel Shabazz , New York: Home also shows younger artists like Cheryl Mukherji and Diana Guerra both of whom were new discoveries. The exhibition takes us on a wide-ranging experience through New York. We see it afresh through new eyes. While “home” has infinite meanings that transcend language and location, the representations we see in this inaugural triennial of our great city are as diverse and wonderful as the people who live here. In New York: Home we feel connected. –Lane Nevares