NEW YORK – Hank Willis Thomas’s exhibit “The Truth Is I See You” is like a stroll through a comic book come to life in Downtown Brooklyn. Comic book speech bubbles are mounted on polls weaved in through the tree-lined promenade on the Metrotech Commons. There are no superheroes here, however, no villains terrorizing the denizens of Metrotech. There’s no fear at all, but instead, perhaps the most reassuring pieces of public art I’ve ever seen.
Phrases like, “the truth is I love you,” “the truth is I see you,” and “the truth is I miss you” are threaded through the lawns and planters. The phrases are taken from “Truth Poem” which Thomas wrote with fellow artist Ryan Alexiev. The phrases are also translated in 22 of the languages commonly spoken in Brooklyn, so visitors in need of an emotional pick-me-up can be reassured in multiple languages.
The exhibit culminates in a tree of words whose brown base blends in surprisingly well among the real trees on the lawn next to NYU Polytechnic’s School of Engineering. The leaves on that one are single words and symbols: truth, love and a question mark. A few other empty bubbles are scattered around the plaza, intended as benches for quiet contemplation or opportunities for pictures/starring in ones own comic book.
The bubbles’ form makes their content look like a foregone conclusion – how could something so simply stated and presented ever be a lie? This nameless, faceless presence is telling visitors that we’re seen and loved. Who can argue with that? How often does it feel like the chaos of Downtown Brooklyn just wants to give you a hug?
Visitors interested in responding to the exhibit have an opportunity to do so with a visit from In Search of the Truth, aka the Truth Booth, on Sept. 26 at the Atlantic Terminal Plaza, and Oct. 15, and a to be determined date in May at Metrotech. The Truth Booth is a mobile interactive video recording booth in which visitors have the opportunity to engage with the work by finishing the sentence “The truth is … ” The 2-minute responses will be recorded and added to a body of work that includes entries from the booth’s previous visits to Afghanistan, South Africa, Ireland and Cleveland. For more information, visit PublicArtFund.org.
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By ILANA NOVICK
