Installation at Empire Stores, New York, is finally complete, and the exhibition has begun.
Another dream has come true.

During installation I was nervous the entire time:
Would we finish in time? Would it hold up?
The order, the layout, the lighting.
I was so absorbed in these things that I couldn’t feel that a dream was coming true.

But looking back, miracles both large and small happened along the way,
and I am deeply grateful for every one of them.

Above all, this exhibition was made possible thanks to curator Vida, who arranged everything with great care and guided me.
It was also the first time an exhibition had been held in this tenant area of Empire Stores,
and I am truly honored to present it here.

While we were installing, people passing by asked me,
“Did you make this?” When I said yes, they were all very surprised.

That is exactly why I am so glad I came to New York for this exhibition.
Every moment was worth the journey.

Empire Stores was originally built between 1868 and 1885 as a waterfront warehouse complex in Brooklyn.
Constructed of solid brick, the seven buildings once stored coffee, sugar, molasses, and wool, supporting New York’s port industry at its peak.

At the time, Brooklyn’s shoreline was lined with massive warehouses and was known locally as “The Walled City.”
Empire Stores played a particularly important role in the coffee trade, helping make New York one of the major coffee hubs in the United States.

With changes in transportation and port logistics, the warehouses fell into decline and were largely abandoned by the 1950s–60s.
In the 2010s, the site was carefully revived through adaptive reuse, preserving its historic structure while transforming it into a contemporary cultural destination.

Today, Empire Stores is a place where history and contemporary expression coexist—a successful global example of architectural preservation and renewal.
Its original brick walls, slate surfaces, iron loading gear, and coffee chutes remain, now combined with glass and steel.
The public rooftop terrace offers sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline, Brooklyn Bridge, and Manhattan Bridge.

Thousands of people visit the site every day.

And my artwork is up there Amazing

Details:

Traveling Exhibition
KUU – Moments of Circularity
Jinn Yagi & Mabo
Curated by Vida Sabbaghi

📅 January 26 – April 30, 2026
📍 Empire Stores, DUMBO, New York

KUU – Moments of Circularity
Curated by Vida Sabbaghi

📍 Empire Stores, DUMBO, New York