The Oyster

The Oyster, a monumental outdoor sculptural installation by acclaimed Mohawk artist Alan Michelson (Six Nations of the Grand River), on view on Governors Island from July 30 through November 30, 2026. The Oyster is commissioned by More Art and presented as part of their 2026 programming initiative Reframing 1776: Land, Water, and the Work of Repair. The initiative brings together three commissions that respond to the nation's 250th anniversary through projects grounded in Indigenous perspectives and environmental histories. Developed in partnership with the Billion Oyster Project, Michelson's installation draws on pre-colonial Lenape oyster middens and shell rings — vast accumulations that reflect long histories of habitation and stewardship in the region. Using salvaged shells and steel mesh gabions, the artist builds a structure that operates simultaneously as habitat, monument, and gathering place. Taking place on the western shore of Governors Island, facing New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty, The Oyster is designed as an amphitheater — inviting public assembly at the water's edge as both sculptural environment and gathering space. The installation reflects on the parallel erasures of Indigenous lifeways and oyster ecologies in the harbor, while pointing toward the possibility of their restoration and return. Its form draws from the logic of reef restoration — reimagined here as both monument and memorial. Visitors encounter a landscape shaped by long histories of Indigenous knowledge and ecological interdependence and are invited to consider what restoration — of land, water, and relationships — might look like in the years ahead. Encircling the sculpture, a large-scale text installation featuring reflections on oyster ecology gathered from the Governors Island community is painted directly onto the ground in purple and white, referencing wampum — the shell beads historically used by the Lenape for exchange, diplomacy, and record-keeping. Throughout its presentation, The Oyster serves as a platform for public programming, including boat tours, walking performances, conversations, and commissioned works that activate the installation as a site for collective engagement. The installation is co-presented with More Art and the Billion Oyster Project.