Dumbo in Brooklyn in Kings County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Nicholas Galanin
In every language there is Land / En cada lengua hay una Tierra
— Public Art Fund —
Nicholas Galanin created this work with the same steel tubing used to construct the U.S.-Mexico border wall, also echoing its 30-foot height. The metal was cut and reassembled to spell out LAND in a format reminiscent of Robert Indiana's 1966 sculpture, LOVE. The anti-climbing plate seen atop the border wall appears here on the upper letters, and the text repeats in four layers to create a dynamic, open structure. As our point of view changes, the text shifts between legibility and abstraction.
Galanin is a member of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska (b. 1979 Sitka; Lingít and Unangax̂). As an Indigenous person, he practices subsistence in his homeland. For him, the free movement of life is essential, and all life is deeply connected to Land. Galanin adapts aspects of pop art and minimalism, such as repetition, text, and industrial production, to protest oppressive systems of division and control. The title, In every language there is Land / En cada lengua hay una Tierra, combines English and Spanish, two languages imposed in North America since colonization. The work reminds us that Indigenous peoples persist and permeate borders despite the forcible removal of rights, languages, and access to Land and Water. For Galanin, "barriers to Land directly reflect barriers to love, love for Land, for community and for future generations."
- Nicholas Baume
Artistic & Executive Director, Public Art Fund
Public Art Fund offers gratitude to the Lenape, original people of the land on which we are now based. We acknowledge the genocide and force removal of the Lenape nations from Lenapehoking, their homeland. We honor the many First Nations peoples who continue to live and work in this region today.
Galanin forma parte de la tribu Sitka de Alaska (n. 1979 Sitka; Lingít y Unangax̂). Como persona indígena, practica la subsistencia en su tierra natal. Para él, el libre movimiento de la vida es esencial y toda vida está profundamente conectada a la tierra. Galanin toma elementos del pop art y el minimalismo, como la repetición, el texto y la producción industrial, para protestar en contra de los sistemas opresivos división y de control. El título, In every language there is Land / En cada lengua hay una Tierra, combina inglés y español, ambos idiomas impuestos en América del norte desde la colonización. La obra nos recuerda que los pueblos indígenas persisten y permean las fronteras a pesar de la eliminación forzosa de sus derechos, lengua y acceso a la Tierra y al Agua. Para Galanin, "las barreras a la Tierra reflejan directamente las barreras al amor: amor por la Tierra, por la comunidad y por las generaciones futuras."
-Nicholas Baume
Director Artístico y Ejectutivo, Public Art Fund
Public Art Fund ofrece gratitud a los Lenape, pueblo originario de la tierra en la que ahora estamos asentados. Reconocemos el genocidio y la expulsión forzosa de las naciones Lenape de Lenapehoking, su patria. Honramos a los muchos pueblos de las Primeras Naciones que continúan viviendo y trabajando en esta región hoy.
Erected by Public Art Fund.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Civil Rights • Native Americans • Natural Resources • Political Subdivisions • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1966.
Location. 40° 42.252′ N, 73° 59.559′ W. Marker is in Brooklyn, New York, in Kings County. It is in Dumbo. Marker is on Dock Street north of Water Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 45 Dock Street, Brooklyn NY 11201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Jane's Carousel (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Nicholas Galanin (within shouting distance of this marker); History in the Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Emily Warren Roebling Plaza (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Manhattan North of the Bridge to Canal Street (about 500 feet away); The Brooklyn Bridge (about 500 feet away); The Builders of the Bridge (about 500 feet away); The Battle of Brooklyn (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brooklyn.
More about this marker. An identical marker about the sculpture stands nearby.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 60 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 19, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A photo of the sculpture. • Can you help?