Lauren Halsey’s installation fuses ancient Egypt and South Los Angeles, in a tribute to cultural resistance and community
Lauren Halsey arrives at the Met
For now, the extraordinary work of Lauren Halsey is on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New Yorkwhere he masterfully mixes references to ancient Egypt and south Los Angeles.
The facility, called “The East Side of South Central Los Angeles Hieroglyphics Prototype Architecture (I)”The Roof Garden Commission: Lauren Halsey, will be on view on the rooftop of the Met from April 18 to October 22.
It is an imposing two-story white temple decorated on its entire surface by different carved messages.
Halsey’s work uses 750 fiberglass-reinforced concrete tiles to create a 22-foot-tall structure reminiscent of an Egyptian-style temple. In addition, four large-scale sphinx statues, featuring the faces of Halsey’s immediate family members and his life partner, stand outside the open space through which visitors can walk, these statues act as guardians of the temple.
Phrases that can be read in this work include, “reparations now”, “together we can”, and “black workers standing up for work, justice and dignity”. All the texts and the images that accompany them remind us of graffiti art, street signs, protest banners and of course, the characteristic carvings of ancient civilizations. Halsey was also inspired by the Met’s collection of Egyptian art and artifacts.
A tribute to resistance and community
The Met’s rooftop Temple of Halsey honors the history and culture of the black community in South Los Angeles, blending the old with the new and celebrating the vibrancy of the neighborhood.
“My installation for the Met Roof Garden reflects my interest in combining the narratives of contemporary South Central Los Angeles with those evoked in ancient Pharaonic architecture”Halsey said in a statement. “My hope is that viewers in New York feel the connections intuitively”.
Just as the ancient Egyptians used to include in their temples the visual and textual histories of their empire, ways of life, and belief systems, Halsey does the same, except, in her case, it’s the gods and pharaohs of South Los Angels who are being honored. She clearly reveres what she calls the “maximalism” of black life in the South-Central, and sees the monument as a “container for the very complete and poetic black experience.”
The exhibition at the Met and its future in Los Angeles
“The Roof Garden Commission: Lauren Halsey” will be on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, from April 18 to October 22, 2023. Museum admission includes access to the exhibition. The Cantor Rooftop Garden is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday from 11 am to 4:15 pm; Fridays and Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 8:15 p.m.
This is the first time Halsey and his studio have built anything on the scale of a building: 20 feet tall, on a 2,500-square-foot platform. And while the piece was commissioned by the Met, it was created for the people of South Los Angeles, not the New York art world, so after October 22, it will be permanently transported to her hometown, South Central Los Angeles, where he lives and works.
Halsey’s work is designed with permanence in mind, and the artist hopes the sculpture will become a civic monument at her Summaeverythang community center, as well as a record of place against the increasingly encroaching forces of gentrification.
In short, Lauren Halsey’s fascinating creation at the Met in New York is a shining example of how art can transcend time and space, fusing cultures and styles to tell a unique and powerful story. This powerful tribute to cultural resilience and community is a reminder of the importance of preserving and celebrating our roots and our shared histories. With her ability to capture the essence of two different worlds, Halsey demonstrates that art can be a unifying force, inspiring us all to strive for a more inclusive and equitable future.
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