Gianni Lee Transforms NYC Streets into Cultural Canvas with SaveArtSpace Billboard Exhibition
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Key Takeaways
Gianni Lee, a multidisciplinary visual artist known for exploring themes of racial inequality and technology through post-apocalyptic landscapes, has announced his first curatorial project with SaveArtSpace titled "Postcards, Prophets & Monuments."
The exhibition will transform three billboards across Brooklyn and the Bronx into public art installations beginning September 5, 2025. SaveArtSpace, founded in 2015 in Brooklyn, is a nonprofit organization that has installed artwork from over 625 artists on more than 1000 advertising spaces in 35+ US cities, working to create urban gallery experiences that foster social change.
Lee's curatorial debut showcases the work of three artists: Mason from Blendini, who reimagines urban environments as playgrounds for community possibility; Skip Brea, a Dominican-American artist exploring memory and cultural narratives; and Lee himself. Each billboard will remain on view for at least four weeks, transforming everyday street corners into spaces for cultural reflection and storytelling.
- Mason from Blendini — Morgan Ave & Stagg St, Brooklyn, NY
Mason is a multidisciplinary artist and designer whose work reimagines the built environment as a playground for possibility. Through layered cityscapes and architectural motifs, Mason channels community, futurism, and joy, blurring the line between design and storytelling. His practice envisions what happens when infrastructure and imagination merge.
- Skip Brea — E 177th St & Devoe Ave, Bronx, NY
Skip Brea is a Dominican-American visual artist who explores memory, history, and identity through a mix of digital media, painting, and installation. Drawing from archives and cultural references, Skip reassembles narratives that challenge how history is preserved and retold. His work often positions Caribbean and diasporic experiences at the center of contemporary art discourse.
- Gianni Lee (Curator + Artist) — Atlantic Ave & Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY
My included work, “Salting The Earth” (2022), extends my practice of Afrofuturist storytelling and personal myth-making—centering Black resilience and imagination.
Redefining Public Space Through Art
SaveArtSpace's mission centers on placing "culture over commercialism," empowering artists from all walks of life while inspiring young creatives and activists. Lee's "Postcards, Prophets & Monuments" exemplifies this vision by reclaiming commercial advertising space for artistic expression and community engagement. The exhibition's title suggests a meditation on communication, spirituality, and memory—themes that resonate deeply with contemporary discussions about cultural preservation and urban identity.
Lee's artistic practice combines painting, drawing, and photography to examine technological, political, social, and racial climates in America, often featuring colorful skeletal figures in his street art and alien-like subjects in his fine art. His approach of decontextualizing and reconstructing societal observations aligns perfectly with the billboard medium, which interrupts daily routines and demands attention from passersby. Through this curatorial project, Lee extends his artistic philosophy beyond his own work to create a collective narrative about urban experience and cultural identity.
The strategic placement of these billboards in Brooklyn and the Bronx—neighborhoods with rich cultural histories and diverse communities—underscores the project's commitment to accessibility and community engagement. By transforming advertising spaces into public art, SaveArtSpace has demonstrated that public art provides cultural, social, and economic value to communities, with 70% of Americans believing that arts improve their community's image and identity. Lee's curatorial vision builds on this foundation, creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue about art, community, and the future of urban cultural spaces.
Gianni Lee
