“The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s newest Roof Garden Commission is on view April 15 through October 19, 2025, and features a dynamic work by artist Jennie C. Jones (born 1968, Cincinnati, Ohio). Titled Ensemble, the site-responsive installation is composed of three large sculptural forms based on string instruments—a trapezoidal zither; a tall Aeolian harp; and a doubled, leaning one-string—corralled on two sides by a floor piece that serves as both a ‘conductor’ of the ensemble and a boundary-marker of the stage-like surface on which it sits. Full of sonic potential, the sculptures sit quietly in place, waiting to be heard. The Roof Garden Commission: Jennie C. Jones, Ensemble is the 12th in the series of commissions for the outdoor space.” — The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jennie C. Jones (born 1968, Cincinnati, Ohio). Installation views of The Roof Garden Commission: Jennie C. Jones, Ensemble, 2025. Images credit: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photos by Hyla Skopitz. 

 “We are thrilled that Jennie C. Jones has brought her unique artistic vision to The Met’s iconic roof garden,” said Max Hollein, the Museum’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “Elevated high above the sounds and rhythms of New York City, her innovative installation seamlessly combines form, color, line, and acoustics, challenging visitors to engage with sculpture in new and unexpected ways.”

David Breslin, Leonard A. Lauder Curator in Charge, Modern and Contemporary Art, added, “Jennie C. Jones’s fidelity to abstraction invites her viewers to pay attention to the quieter pathways where profound meanings reside. By combining the sensorial experiences of visual art and sound, Jones is one of the most thoughtful and compelling voices in contemporary art today.” 

 The Roof Garden Commission: Jennie C. Jones, Ensemble is conceived by the artist in consultation with Lauren Rosati, Associate Curator in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art and Research Projects Manager in the Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art at The Met.

Images courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art.