For ‘Art on the Grid’, Public Art Fund invited 50 emerging New York-based artists to reflect on the COVID-19 crisis and the renewed urgency over systemic racism that led to widespread protests, reshaping the day-to-day lives of New Yorkers including the ways they interact and experience the city. Artists were prompted to respond to the broad themes of reconnection and renewal, interpreted through their different perspectives and personal narratives. The resulting works draw on personal experiences of New York City, its people, and places. They form a decentralized group exhibition on the city’s public transportation and communication infrastructure. Clusters of works by multiple artists along a bus route are intended to create new art viewing itineraries, reenvisioning the city itself as an outdoor gallery, reminding us that even in times of adversity, artistic expression is indispensable to the creation of a culture that truly reflects and responds to our contemporary world.
