In

Two

Shows

in

New

York,

Yto

Barrada

Mingles

Politics

and

Play

Yto Barrada’s site-specific installation ‘Le Grand Soir’ at MoMA PS1 transforms the museum’s courtyard into a vibrant space for reflection and interaction. Inspired by old city ramparts and the Brutalist architecture of her native Tangier, the French Moroccan artist explores power structures—both physical and symbolic—through an arrangement of bold, colourful concrete blocks. The work, which invites play and conversation, links to Barrada’s long-standing engagement with labour, play and cultural histories. Such themes also appear in a concurrent solo show of Barrada’s photo-based work at the International Center of Photography on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Together, the two shows highlight Barrada’s incisive exploration of the forces that shape our world through material and memory.