Brooklyn’s iconic OY/YO sculpture will have a new home starting in September.
The piece, which was created by artist Deborah Kass, will be placed in front of the Brooklyn Museum as part of a yearlong public art display called “Something to Say.”
First appearing in the borough in November 2015, Kass’s piece made its debut at the Brooklyn Bridge Park and was later displayed along the Williamsburg waterfront.
The 8-foot-tall sculpture has resonated with the borough’s diverse communities. From one side it references the famous Yiddish expression “oy vey,” and from the other, it spells “yo,” a popular slang greeting and the Spanish word for “I.”
“When I created OY/YO the American promise of equality and fairness was writ in the most diverse administration ever, working to make the country a better place for all,” Kass said in a statement. “With hate and division now on the rise, it is urgent to see our commonalities, what we share, and what brings us together.”
“Something to Say” will be on view from Sept. 14 to June 30, 2019. It also will include works by Brooklyn Hi-Art! Machine, Kameelah Janan Rasheed and Hank Willis Thomas.
