An-My Lê's Pandemic Photographs Capture New York's Silent Streets and Movie Marquee Messages

Photographer An-My Lê documented New York City during the early pandemic lockdown in May 2020, venturing from her home to her rooftop studio in a deserted office building. She captured the eerie silence and emptiness of streets, focusing on messages displayed on neighborhood movie theater marquees like Cobble Hill Cinemas. These signs, bearing phrases such as 'We love you Brooklyn' and 'We will dance again' at The Joyce Theater, became a form of public address during isolation. Lê's work connects to her ongoing project Silent General and the tradition of street photography, while also referencing Ken Lum's subversive signage series. The photographs include one with a clear 'Black Lives Matter' message at IFC Center. Lê reflects on her childhood experiences during the Vietnam War and conversations with author Viet Thanh Nguyen, drawing parallels between pandemic preparedness and wartime trauma. She explores the role of protest language in art and the spectacle of public demonstration as intimate gestures within specific times and places.