Park update: On September 7, the Spur and High Line Connector at 30th Street will be closed. From September 8 – 9, the Spur, High Line Connector, and Coach Passage at 30th Street will be closed.
your inbox
Sign up for the High Line newsletter for the latest updates, stories, events & more.
Leilah Babirye
Agali Awamu
Leilah Babirye (b. 1985, Kampala, Uganda) lives in New York.
Agali Awamu (Togetherness) is a 16-foot-tall cast bronze sculpture featuring two genderless faces connected through intricate, interwoven rubber braids. The faces point vigilantly in two opposite directions, watching over passersby underneath. Babirye designed the piece specifically to transcend the dynamics of race, gender, and identity, allowing viewers to make their own interpretations. The Lugandan phrase agali awamu alludes to “togetherness,” but the term also encompasses the communal spirit of uniting in solidarity and looking out for one another. The two figures becoming one, interlocked in a protective embrace, embodies the healing process of gathering with one’s chosen family.
Support
Major support for the High Line Plinth is provided by members of the High Line Plinth Committee and contemporary art leaders committed to realizing major commissions and engaging in the public success of the Plinth. Learn more about the High Line Plinth Committee.