A Logo for America, 1987 — Alfredo Jaar

Galerie Lelong, New York presents A Logo for America, 1987, a solo exhibition by Alfredo Jaar examining the origins and enduring impact of his foundational public installation of the same name. Originally conceived for the Public Art Fund as an animation for the Spectacolor billboard in Times Square, the work critiques the common usage of “America” to refer to the United States, highlighting the erasure of the rest of the continent. Nearly forty years on, and amid the United States’s Semiquincentennial, the presentation asks viewers to consider what it means to be “American.”

Displayed at a grand scale in an enclosed, dimly lit space is a newly digitized version of the original animation. Exhibited publicly for the first time, the original storyboard drawings offer a rare glimpse into Jaar’s creative process. Throughout the gallery, photographic suites, lightboxes and videos document the original iteration and subsequent presentations — including a barge off Miami Beach and modern television screens — alongside videos showing how the work’s imagery has seeped into broader cultural and political consciousness.

Opening reception: Thursday, September 10, 6–8 PM. Book launch and signing with Alfredo Jaar and author Florencia San Martín: Saturday, September 12, 3 PM.