By Ashley Vasquez
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Fifth Avenue façade features The Genesis Façade Commission: Liu Wei, Speculation, a four-piece sculptural installation on view from September 17, 2026, through June 8, 2027. Created by Beijing-born artist Liu Wei, the installation combines industrial and organic materials, including fiberglass composite, metal, rope, and rawhide. The sculptures incorporate cut, assembled, stitched, and painted forms, demonstrating the artist’s approach to material and construction. This photo narrative documents the installation through wide views of the façade and close-up photographs of the sculptures’ surfaces, structural details, and materials.
Speculation / h
This sculpture is displayed on the right side of The Met’s front façade, facing Fifth Avenue. According to the museum’s description, the human hand represents both an agent and an anchor in the processes of adaptation and reconfiguration.
Speculation / c
This sculpture is the second from the right side of The Met’s Fifth Avenue façade. Fiberglass is visible on the right corner, while metal and steel elements extend throughout the piece. The connected components create the appearance of pieces being zipped together.
Speculation / G
This is the second sculpture from the left. It features a white hand, a black spherical object, dark green elements, and metal components. The use of black, white, and green tones combined with metal is consistent across all four sculptures.
Speculation / Λ
This the first sculpture on the left and the only piece in the series featuring two spheres.
Each sculpture is accompanied by an informational plaque featuring a QR code that provides visitors with additional context about the artwork and the artist’s intentions.
This image offers a more intimate view of Liu Wei’s sculptures, drawing attention to the finer details and the interplay of materials that shape each piece.