2026 Monument Lab Fellow and Artist Miguel Braceli presents Piñata Party, a participatory performance from his ongoing project Emancipatory Lands (Tierras Libres). Drawing on the Latin American tradition of the piñata, the work transforms the flag from a symbol of borders and national power into a shared vessel for celebration, exchange, and collective imagination. Presented by Monument Lab, Governors Island Arts, and LA ESCUELA___, the project uses music, procession, and shared making to reflect on transnationality, belonging, and collective identity.

The event will take place at Governors Island on Saturday, October 17. Children and families are invited to participate in a drop-in workshop from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., organized in collaboration with LA ESCUELA___, where participants will create small objects to fill the piñatas and contribute to the performance.

At 5:00 p.m., a procession led by the First Panamanian Marching Band of Brooklyn will move through the park, with participants carrying a collective flag made from multiple flagpoles. The performance will culminate with the breaking of flag-shaped piñatas and the redistribution of their contents among participants.

The project is presented as a celebration of The Flag, Braceli’s permanent public artwork commissioned through NYC Percent for Art by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the New York City Department of Design and Construction and the Department of Parks and Recreation.