The Citiblog
Doodles Are the Inspiration Behind the Met's 2024 Roof Garden Commission
April 29, 2024, 6:42.34 pm ET
The Met’s highly anticipated 2024 Roof Garden Commission, by Kosovar artist Petrit Halilaj (born 1986, Kostërc, former Yugoslavia), is now on view through October 27, 2024. For his first major outdoor installation, Halilaj has transformed the Museum’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden with a sprawling work that explores the intersection of reality and fantasy through the rich world of children’s drawings.
The installation’s metal sculptures are inspired by children’s doodles, drawings, and scribblings found on desks at the school he attended in Runik, Kosovo, as well as schools in Albania and countries from the former Yugoslavia, which are now undergoing significant cultural and sociopolitical change.
Halilaj is known for immersive installations that express a desire to alter the course of personal and collective histories, creating complex artistic worlds that claim space for freedom, intimacy, and identity.
Photo: Petrit Halijaj by Marjorie Brunet Plaza
For The Met commission, furtive drawings from children’s desks have been enlarged into three-dimensional metal sculptures, with each one retaining the trace of the original drawing. Together, they bring to public view the collective memory and imaginative power of generations of students whose lives were marked by traumatic conflicts and territorial divisions.
The Roof Garden Commission: Petrit Halilaj, Abetare is the 11th in the series of site-specific commissions for the outdoor space.
For more information, visit metmuseum.org
Exhibit Photos: Petrit Halilaj, Abetare, 2024, The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
OUR LATEST BLOG POSTS
La Plaz Brings Mexico City Vibes to The Standard in the Meatpacking District
May 18, 2024, 10:20 am ET
La Plaz is bringing the spirit of Mexico City to The Standard, High Line with an installation from Sofia Elías and menu featuring Taqueria Ramirez and La Newyorkina. The outdoor plaza has be... READ MORE
Bel-Fries Comes to the High Line
May 18, 2024, 9:45 am ET
Belgium’s popular street food can now be found on the High Line. Bel-Fries, inspired by Belgium’s twice-cooked fries, is now available as an on-the-go snack as you soak in the city view... READ MORE
Brooklyn Bridge Park Announces Free and Low-Cost Summer Summer
May 18, 2024, 12:20 am ET
Concerts, dance parties and kayaking are just some of the free and low-cost summer events being offered at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Hightlights include the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy’s new... READ MORE