Precious Okoyomon has filled the MoMA PS1 courtyard with a deliberately unruly woodland of native and invasive plants, and put an oversized teddy bear in the middle of it that you are allowed to climb. Her own recorded poetry plays from inside the bear over flower-inspired instrumentals. It is her largest outdoor work to date, the first in PS1's new biannual Courtyard Commission, and admission to the museum costs nothing. If you want one free thing in Queens, take this.
What to expect
You walk out of the museum's converted schoolhouse into a walled concrete courtyard that has been planted over with grasses, weeds, vines and pollinator flowers rather than landscaped. A climbable oversized teddy bear anchors the space and plays recorded poetry. The planting is designed to grow and change across the commission's run.
Good to know
- The 7, E, M and G trains all stop within minutes of the museum in Long Island City
- Admission to MoMA PS1 is free for everyone, underwritten by a named gift
- The museum closes in the middle of the week, so plan around the back half
- On Warm Up nights general admission stops in the afternoon, which changes the courtyard access
- It is an outdoor courtyard, so the planting looks different in sun and rain
- Pair it with James Turrell's Meeting, a permanent skyspace room in the same building
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Common questions
Is MoMA PS1 free?
Yes. The museum states that free admission for all is made possible by a named gift, covering adults, seniors, students and children alike.
Can you really climb the teddy bear?
Yes, the oversized bear at the centre of the installation is made for visitors to climb, and the artist's recorded poetry plays from inside it.
How long is the commission on view?
It runs from mid-2026 into 2028 as the inaugural work in MoMA PS1's new biannual Courtyard Commission programme, so the planting changes with the seasons.
