New York’s High Line Art is reintroducing its billboard program, bringing art back to the iconic elevated walkway after nearly ten years. Located at 18th Street and 10th Avenue in Chelsea, the newly revamped billboard will once again serve as a platform for public art, with exhibitions changing every two months. This initiative revives the Billboard Art series, allowing artworks to be seen from both the street and the High Line itself.

For the first exhibition, High Line Art director Cecilia Alemani has chosen conceptual artist Glenn Ligon, known for his impactful, text-driven works that examine America’s history and identity. Ligon’s piece, Untitled (America/Me), a modified photograph of one of his famous neon installations, will be displayed from September 3 through November 2024.

“We are excited to have the billboard back at 18th Street after such a long absence,” Alemani said. “This format enables us to showcase large, eye-catching two-dimensional artworks in a more flexible timeframe than traditional installations.”

She continued, “It acts as a massive canvas for artists to present large-scale works that can be appreciated from both the High Line and the street level. The poignant message of Untitled (America/Me) resonates powerfully in our current political landscape.”

The previous iteration of the High Line Art billboard ran from 2010 to 2015, featuring works by artists like John Baldessari, Faith Ringgold, and Louise Lawler. Additionally, since September 2023, the organization has been displaying billboard commissions on a structure located on Dyer Avenue between 30th and 31st Streets, not far from the High Line.

Ligon’s Untitled (America/Me) is a new interpretation of his earlier work. He has reimagined his 2008 neon piece, which originally spanned about 14 feet and displayed the word “AMERICA” in flickering neon lights, reflecting the cautious optimism of the early Obama years. In this latest version, bold black X’s obscure almost every letter of “America,” leaving only the ‘M’ and ‘E’ visible, creating a more critical dialogue about individual and national identity.

In discussing his work, Ligon stated, “Paint is a material. Language is a material. Neon is a material. I’m interested in exploring the word ‘America’ as a material. By crossing it out, inverting it, or making it blink erratically, I engage with a term that we all think we understand.”

Sayart / Amia Nguyen, amyngwyen13@gmail.com