The Plain of Heaven was a 2005 exhibition inspired by the redevelopment of the High Line. Mounted in a vacant meatpacking warehouse at the southern end of the Line, the exhibition explored numerous themes relating to the ways in which we imagine both inaccessible spaces, as well as those in transition.

The exhibition’s title, The Plain of Heaven, adapted from a painting by British artist John Martin (1789 – 1854), referred to the idea of an elevated, sublime environment that lies just beyond our reach, yet is firmly planted in our aspirations and imagination.

Photograph by Charlie Samuels

Multiple Artists

The Plain of Heaven

Manhattan

2005