Britta Marakatt-Labba at NY High Line

High Line is a nonprofit organization and a public park in New York City, built on a historic elevated railway line with the aim of fostering community and making contemporary art accessible to a broad audience.

This is achieved by offering public programs, community and youth engagement initiatives, and world-class performances—all free and open to everyone. In addition, High Line commissions and presents artworks by both national and international artists at various stages of their careers.

For High Line, Britta Marakatt-Labba, in collaboration with Galleri Helle Knudsen, created the commissioned work Urmodern (“The Primordial Mother”). The base of the work, resembling a large boulder, is made of granite and adorned with the goddess’s head in bronze. Sami mythology is rooted in the belief that every stone, plant, and body of water has its own spirit. It teaches that the cosmos and the earth were created and are protected by goddesses, emphasizing the vital role of women in Sami culture. Urmodern serves as a representation of these female deities. Marakatt-Labba’s contribution to High Line underscores the importance of global environmental stewardship and engages audiences in important conversations about Indigenous rights and feminism.

The sculpture is located between Gansevoort Street and Little West 12th Street and will remain on view through March 2026.

Britta Marakatt-Labba, Urmodern, 2025. A High Line Commission. On view April 2025 – March 2026. Photos by Timothy Schenck. Courtesy of the High Line.