New Wash Heights Art Display Shows Same Street 100 Years Apart

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY - You don’t have to be Marty McFly to go back in time in Washington Heights.

NYC Parks’ newest public art installation comes to 157th Street and Broadway in the form of Adrian Sas’ “Broadway: Now and Then,” a four-foot-wide lenticular print that reveals different photographs — either the present day or 1910 — depending on the viewers’ perspective angle.

“As viewers pass by the installation, they will witness the enchanting transformation between a black and white image from 1910, loaned by the Museum of the City of New York, and the artist’s 2023 photograph of the very same location where the piece is installed,” according to a news release announcing the installation.

“The flip between archival and contemporary images provides a unique perspective on the transformation of our city … This installation serves as both an homage to our city's storied past and a reflection on its ever-evolving present. It challenges viewers to ponder the dynamic shifts that have shaped our cityscape while celebrating its enduring spirit.”

New York City native Sas’ latest work is demonstrative of her mission to connect people and place, ultimately transcending time, she says. The artist has previously exhibited photo/video and installation-based artworks at museums and festivals in the U.S. and abroad including at Tribeca Film Festival’s iPlayground, Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Toronto International Film Festival’s digiPlaySpace, Staten Island Children’s Museum, and Miami Filmgate.

“Broadway: Now and Then” will be on display at Ilka Tanya Payán Park until March 2024.