Five people in the intimate group of about 26 discreetly take out their phones to take a selfie alongside speech balloon sculptures as instructed by artist, Hank Willis Thomas. Today it’s not for vanity purposes – instead it’s a means to view the ingenious, unique, and socially conscious exhibit Thomas put together with support from curator Andria Hickey and the Public Art Fund.
Thomas’ pieces are scattered throughout the Metrotech Common, a space which has been welcoming Public Art Fund exhibits for more than twenty years. This unique exhibit however is particularly special for the community, as Thomas (a Brooklyn native) has created somewhat of an homage to the diverse cultures in BK.
The exhibit, “The Truth Is I See You”, is part of a ongoing series for the artist exploring the theme of ‘truth’, and its contested definition. This series features comic book- inspired speech bubble signs, with text drawn from a poem (see bellow) written by Thomas in collaboration with artist Ryan Alexiv. With his diverse network of friends, these signs are written in 22 of the numerous languages spoken in Brooklyn; including Arabic, and Yiddish amongst many others.
For those seeking a change of perspective, The Truth Booth has proven to be an incredibly touching and unique art experience. As part of a multi-year collaboration with Ryan Alexiev, and Jim Ricks of the Cause Collective, Thomas will bring an interactive video–booth to the Brooklyn exhibit four times during its 11 month run. Here visitors can confess their own personal “truth,” whether that means the story of a failed marriage or the reality of gender oppression in their home country.
If you cannot visit the Brooklyn installation, you should definitely take the twenty minutes to watch and listen to the incredibly moving reel of previous booth experiences as it ventured through Cape Town, South Africa, Afghanistan, Galway, Ireland and Cleveland, Ohio.
Truth Poem
The truth is I love you
The truth is I know you
The truth is I see you
The truth is I hear you
The truth is I feel you
The truth is I respect you
The truth is I follow you
The truth is I choose you
The truth is I remember you
The truth is I remind you
The truth is I liberate you
The truth is I believe you
The truth is I am you
The truth is I understand you
The truth is I need you
The truth is I miss you
The truth is I reflect you
The truth is I accept you
The truth is I trust you
The truth is I support you
The truth is I balance you
The truth is I welcome you
Visit Public Art Fund’s website for more information on this and other art installations throughout New York City.
