Hadi Falapishi’s (b. 1987, Tehran; based in New York) new, site-specific work Almost There on the facade of 95 Horatio Street will present an allegory of migration which engages with the Museum’s location along the Hudson River as well as the geography and history of Manhattan more broadly. A dog, cat, and mouse in a boat—with a human oddly positioned below—approach an island paradise. Where did they leave, and why? Where are they going, and how will they be received? This 17-by-29-foot vinyl print is an enlarged version of one of Falapishi’s distinctive photograms—a unique, cameraless photograph produced by burning an image into photosensitive paper with a flashlight. Almost There is Falapishi’s first solo museum presentation in New York. This billboard will strikingly bring the original photogram, made in complete isolation and darkness, out into the public and under the sun and sky. 

This work is part of a series of public art installations organized by the Whitney in partnership with TF Cornerstone and High Line Art. This project is organized by Lauren Young, Senior Curatorial Assistant at the Whitney Museum of American Art.