Yto Barrada: Le Grand Soir

In Le Grand Soir, acclaimed artist Yto Barrada transforms the MoMA PS1 courtyard into an immersive, architectural playground of stacked concrete block sculptures—monuments of Moroccan memory, geometry, and resilience. These bold forms, inspired by traditional human pyramids, offer not only visual poetry but also tactile engagement. Visitors are invited to sit, explore, and reflect among these sculptural towers, each referencing a specific formation once used in acrobatic, spiritual, and communal traditions.

Rooted in Moroccan cultural heritage, the structures—tqal (weight), bourj tarbaite (tower of four), and bourj benayma ou chebaken (tower lift with net)—symbolize strength through collaboration and balance, while echoing Brutalist architecture, personal histories, and the power of reshaped public spaces.

Barrada’s interdisciplinary practice often exposes the political and personal narratives buried in form and function. With Le Grand Soir, she constructs more than sculpture—she builds a living archive of human ingenuity, family legacy, and activist architecture.

This long-term installation offers a rare chance to encounter…