New York Now

The Museum of the City of New York is pleased to announce the first in an ongoing photography exhibition series. Inspired by the Museum’s landmark presentation of the same name in 2000, this series will occur every three years and engage different themes and issues of the contemporary city.

The first installment examines the idea of “Home.” At its most practical, “Home” refers to the literal places we dwell. Yet it can also stand for family, or the communities of which we choose to be a part. This vital and complex concept arises in often surprising ways in our urban context, from highly personal experiences to debates over public policy. This exhibition aims to look at how artists have responded to and interpreted these issues.

In recent years, the city has struggled to reckon not only with the ongoing dynamics of economic and racial inequality but also with massive challenges unleashed by the COVID-19 crisis. This exhibition includes photography and video work made over the past several years that creatively documents and interprets this changing cityscape and the disparate responses and experiences of New Yorkers, straddling the stories of the city before, during, and after the pandemic.

The selected work encompasses a variety of perspectives—as diverse as the city itself—and consider a range of picture making approaches. From the personal and intimate to the monumental and collective, the photographs in this exhibition invites viewers to see the city they thought they knew through fresh perspectives.