Farewell to Dear Colleagues

At the height of summer and with the city in a flurry of excitement, we recently celebrated two of our lovely colleagues who are departing our firm for new beginnings at law school. In honor of their much-appreciated contributions and to commemorate this next step in their journeys, we gathered at Tonchin, our favorite ramen establishment in the city. Over warm bowls of handmade noodles, tangy salad, and fresh steaming buns, we recounted memories and exchanged advice for the rigorous halls of legal education that lie ahead. For dessert, we indulged in heaping cold kakigōri, a Japanese shaved ice confection that comes in espresso, matcha, and other vibrant flavors, an absolute delight for the hot days of summer. As we said goodbye over good food and laughter, we cherished our time together at the firm. We look forward to seeing our DLG team continue to grow and develop, but we will certainly feel their absence. We toast to their futures in law and beyond!

“ARCHETYPES” by Derek Fordjour on the High Line

After a long winter, we have been enjoying all the greenspace that the city has to offer in the July heat, so we of course had to stop by the High Line and take a look at the park’s ever evolving art collection. Strolling down the path of this iconic once-abandoned train track, we were lucky enough to stumble across Derek Fordjour’s newest public artwork, “ARCHETYPES.” The installation features stunning bronze sculptures of a burlesque dancer, a waiter, and a boxer. Through this collection of “archetypes,” Fordjour examines the ways in which labor, entertainment, and service are interlinked in Black communities across the country. The installation boldly asks viewers to question their own previous notions about these overlapping economies, illustrating how our associations with each archetype are more similar than we would assume.

Whimsy in Motion on Park Avenue

In celebration of summer, we have been soaking up the sunshine and enjoying some of the city’s newest outdoor artwork.  We recently walked over to Murray Hill, where a selection of sculptures by Dorit Levinstein have been installed along Park Avenue. In partnership with the Eden Gallery, the exhibition feature nine sculptures by the acclaimed artist. Dorit Levinstein’s signature twirling figures are equally graceful and fun, eliciting delight from her viewers. With intricate patterns, vibrant colors, and innovative shapes, this installation adds a sense of whimsy to the tree-lined Park Avenue, inviting passersby to stop and enjoy the urban surroundings.

“Live Free or Die” by Danh Võ

In a busy time for world flags in New York City, we managed to catch a glimpse of one more, the Vietnamese and Danish artist Danh Võ’s take on the American stars and stripes, titled “Live Free or Die.” The piece is on display at the Vilcek Foundation gallery in the Upper East Side, where it sits among a wider collection of Võ’s works. Established in 2000, the Vilcek Foundation celebrates and explores immigrant contributions to the United States, particularly in the arts and sciences. In this piece, commissioned by the foundation, Võ reimagines the American flag as a piling of ash logs in different wood tones, studded with steel cutouts of thirteen stars, representing the original American colonies. Jagged wooden edges heap together, leaving fragmented gaps between the logs, but ultimately the materials amass into a familiar image of American patriotism. The title references a decisive, almost hostile call for independence aligned with revolutionary ideals of American freedom, though best known as the infamous state motto of New Hampshire. The larger exhibit, “Danh Võ: Rebuilding Liberty,” also includes sculptures from Võ’s “We the People,” a collection of seemingly nondescript ridged and textured copper structures which are, in fact, pieces from an unassembled full-scale replica of the Statue of Liberty. The full series lays in metallic tatters at museums and parks around the world. At the Vilcek Foundation gallery, the single left eye and brow of Lady Liberty’s face gaze at the ceiling, in front of Võ’s choppy, earthen depiction of the star-spangled banner. As the 250th anniversary of American independence approaches, these transformative versions of iconic national symbols contextualize the rich, fragmented, and often somber arc of American history, and the prescient place of immigration and art within it.

Photos by Anna Hochman