Blog—SEP 17, 2026, by Frederic Jonsson
MoMA PS1: When a Museum becomes a place you can wear
When MoMA PS1 turned 50, it marked the occasion by making admission free throughout 2026 and launching Greater New York, bringing together work by 53 local artists and collectives. But alongside its exhibition program, the Queens institution found another way to reflect on its history: through a new brand identity and product line developed with design agency PORTO ROCHA and production partner Merchery. Rather than treating the anniversary as a retrospective, the team built the campaign around a simple idea: "PS1 Is Your Place."
Since moving into a former Long Island City public school in 1976, PS1 has become known for experimentation, site-specific work, and a willingness to challenge conventional ideas about what an art institution can be. Translating that spirit into a contemporary identity meant moving away from the restraint often associated with museum branding. PORTO ROCHA instead introduced high-contrast colours, mismatched typefaces, and direct, conversational language.
The merchandise was developed as part of that identity from the start, rather than added later as a collection of logoed souvenirs. As PORTO ROCHA's Natalee Ranii-Dropcho explained, the aim was to extend the PS1 experience beyond the museum itself. It aimed to turn visitors from observers into participants.
That idea comes through in the objects themselves:
- Conversation starters: Sweatshirts featuring "I KNOW A PLACE" use language as an invitation, designed to spark curiosity and interaction beyond the gallery.
- Invitations to create: Notebooks carrying "Your Place to Make a Mark" turn an everyday object into an extension of PS1's experimental spirit.
- Made for everyday life: Merchery translated the identity into physical pieces, from totes and caps to apparel, with attention to materials, print techniques, and durability, so the collection could live beyond the museum.
Museum shops traditionally sell souvenirs: objects that mark a place you have visited. PS1's anniversary collection takes a slightly different approach. By putting its identity into circulation on T-shirts, notebooks, bags, and other everyday objects, it turns the museum from somewhere you visit into something you can carry with you.
PS1 becomes less of a destination. It becomes a place you take into the city.
