100 New Yorkers
Presented as part of River To River 2020: Four Voices
September 15–November 30, 2020
Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) in partnership with Westfield World Trade Center, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and with exclusive print partner Absolut Art present Mona Chalabi’s 100 New Yorkers, on view September 15-November 30 in Lower Manhattan as part of River To River 2020: Four Voices.
By using hard data as the foundation of her art, multidisciplinary artist Mona Chalabi reconstitutes information that is often decontextualized and dehumanized, transforming numbers, charts and statistics into readable, digestible and understandable visual narratives. Her work lays bare the multi-layered and intertwined nature of the systems and structures that we live within and the indisputable effect that these unseen conditions have when they play out across our society.
100 New Yorkers visualizes what the city’s population would look like if it were distilled from its ungraspable millions to a more relatable 100 individuals. Using census data, Chalabi has created 100 characters that visualize the racial, economic and social realities of the city’s population. By framing these characters through various statistical lenses, Chalabi tells the story of the New York public and how politics, environment, health, wealth, physical ability and education affect how the diverse population lives, dies and exists in between.
For this iteration of 100 New Yorkers, presented at the very moment when New York is cautiously reemerging after months of immense hardship and sadness, Chalabi will activate her characters around the important topic of unity. Her animations seek to empower viewers by visualizing the beauty, strength and resilience that comes from the city’s diverse community and grounding them within it. The work will be presented across the Westfield World Trade Center campus on 22 state-of-the-art digital screens of varying size—one measuring four stories—as well as the 280-foot long screen that runs along the East/West Concourse. Appearing intermittently every few minutes across this vast media network, the content and presentation of 100 New Yorkers will create an immersive experience that layers life, art and data. Signed, limited editions of Chalabi’s work will also be available exclusively through Absolut Art.
A full lineup of River To River 2020: Four Voices is available at lmcc.net/R2R.
Exhibition details
Mona Chalabi
100 New Yorkers
22 screens across the Westfield World Trade Center campus
Free. Dates, times and locations subject to change. Visit lmcc.net/R2R for up-to-date information.
The work will be presented across the Westfield World Trade Center campus on 22 state-of-the-art digital screens of varying size, one measuring four stories, as well as the 280-foot long screen that runs along the East/West Concourse.
100 New Yorkers will also include additional programmatic content, including a virtual discussion with the artist on the role of art within the social context, and an open call led by Chalabi that will ask New Yorkers to visualize their own New York by submitting drawings of themselves and their community. The winning drawings will be displayed alongside 100 New Yorkers on the Westfield World Trade Center screens. More details will be shared at lmcc.net/R2R.
In addition, signed limited edition prints of Chalabi’s 100 New Yorkers are available at absolutart.com.
Supporters
Presented by LMCC in partnership with Westfield World Trade Center, with support from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as part of River To River 2020: Four Voices. Exclusive print partner: Absolut Art
About Mona Chalabi
Mona Chalabi is a data journalist who lives in New York.
She is a writer. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, New York Magazine, The Guardian and many more. She has written for radio and TV including NPR, Gimlet, Netflix, BBC and National Geographic.
She is also an illustrator whose work has been commended by the Royal Statistical Society. Her work has been exhibited at several galleries including the Tate, The Design Museum and the House of Illustration.
Lastly, she’s a producer and presenter. She’s one half of the team that created the Emmy-nominated video series Vagina Dispatches.
Before she became a journalist, Chalabi worked with large data sets in jobs at the Bank of England, Transparency International and the International Organization for Migration. She studied International Relations in Paris and studied Arabic in Jordan. Chalabi was born and raised in London.
About River to River
River To River, LMCC’s annual summer festival, was created in the aftermath of 9/11 with the intention to heal and celebrate New Yorkers’ resiliency through the power of art. Since 2002, River To River has remained free and open to all, showcasing artistic and creative diversity across disciplines through the presentation of art and installation in public spaces and in partnership with leading institutions in Lower Manhattan.
About LMCC
Founded as Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, LMCC serves, connects and makes space for artists and community. Since 1973, LMCC has been the champion for independent artists in New York City and the cultural life force of Lower Manhattan, supporting artists through grants, residencies and presentations, and engaging audiences through programming that is free and open to all. At LMCC, we envision New York City as a place in which artists and community in dialogue are creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.
About Westfield World Trade Center
Situated at the portal of Lower Manhattan where 13 subway / PATH trains, multiple ferry lines, and millions of global travelers all converge–Westfield World Trade Center has become an instantly identifiable landmark like no other. This architectural marvel and the most complete retail destination in New York City showcases 80+ fashion, health, beauty, lifestyle, and technology brands under the magnificent roof of the iconic, Santiago Calatrava designed Oculus and throughout the galleries seamlessly connecting the entire WTC campus. The Oculus at Westfield World Trade Center and adjacent outdoor Oculus Plaza have become Lower Manhattan’s newest meeting places and home to a multitude of community events, headline entertainment, art and cultural programming, social activities, as well as a weekly Farmers Market.
About Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Founded in 1921, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey builds, operates, and maintains many of the most important transportation and trade infrastructure assets in the country. The agency’s network of aviation, ground, rail, and seaport facilities is among the busiest in the country, supports more than 550,000 regional jobs, and generates more than USD 23 billion in annual wages and USD 80 billion in annual economic activity. The Port Authority also owns and manages the 16-acre World Trade Center site, where the 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center is now the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The Port Authority receives no tax revenue from either the State of New York or New Jersey or from the City of New York. The agency raises the necessary funds for the improvement, construction or acquisition of its facilities primarily on its own credit.
For more information, please visit http://www.panynj.gov. For more information about the World Trade Center campus, please visit www.officialworldtradecenter.com.
About Absolut Art
Founded with the mission of making art accessible and affordable, Absolut Art is a tightly curated, global art gallery that sells limited edition prints that ship within 48-hours. Absolut Art collaborates with all levels of artists and prioritizes diversity. The direct-to-consumer model focuses attention on creating a quality experience for collectors and artists alike, offering exclusive collections co-curated by the likes of Wu-Tang Clan and New York’s Metrograph movie theater, and charitable partnerships with leading artists such as Kehinde Wiley. Currently home to prints by Mona Chalabi, Tiff Massey, Hank Willis Thomas, Shantell Martin, Jayson Musson, and more, the platform is an extension of Absolut’s thirty-year history of working with artists like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Louise Bourgeois. For more information, please visit www.absolutart.com.
For press inquiries, please contact Chris Schimpf, Sacks & Co.
T 212-741-1000, chris.schimpf@sacksco.com
