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New Orleans, Orleans Parish / Public art

Nari Ward’s Battleground Beacon

A towering public sculpture by Nari Ward that transforms portable police floodlights into giant megaphone speakers, broadcasting powerful speeches on race and justice throughout the Tremé neighborhood.

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What is Nari Ward’s Battleground Beacon?

Battleground Beacon is a towering public sculpture in New Orleans, created by Nari Ward. It is made from portable police floodlights that have been transformed into megaphone speakers.

What does the sculpture play?

The sculpture functions as a giant megaphone that broadcasts a soundtrack of speeches and spoken-word pieces on race and justice. This includes voices of figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, James Baldwin, and Amanda Gorman, as well as Buddhist chants by Tina Turner.

How often does the soundtrack play?

The soundtrack broadcasts once every hour on the hour.

Where is Battleground Beacon located?

The sculpture was installed in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans as part of the Prospect.5 exhibition.

What should I check before going?

Use Gyde for context, then check official sources for current hours, tickets, construction, and closures.

What to know

Battleground Beacon is a towering public art project created by artist Nari Ward and installed in 2021. Commissioned for the Prospect.5 exhibition titled "Yesterday we said tomorrow," the sculpture is located in the historic Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans. The work is physically structured as a tower on a trailer, utilizing portable police floodlights that have been repurposed into megaphone speakers. Rather than projecting light, this sculpture functions as a massive sonic beacon. It is designed to broadcast a sound piece once every hour. Depending on the source, this audio experience lasts between ten and eleven minutes, filling the surrounding air with a curated selection of voices and sounds. The soundtrack is a powerful assembly of oral history and activism. Visitors can hear the orations of poet Amanda Gorman, the preaching of Malcolm X, and the professing of James Baldwin. The audio also includes speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. and Buddhist chants performed by Tina Turner. By transforming equipment typically associated with police surveillance and control into a tool for broadcasting messages of justice and liberation, Ward creates a poignant dialogue within the urban landscape. The work serves as a sonic monument to the enduring struggle for civil rights.

Visitor tips

  • Plan your visit to arrive at the top of the hour to hear the 10-11 minute soundtrack.
  • Look up at the top of the trailer to see how the police floodlights were converted into speakers.
  • Allow extra time to walk through the Tremé neighborhood to appreciate the local context of the piece.

Nearby context

The sculpture is situated in Tremé, one of the oldest African American neighborhoods in the United States, providing a deeply resonant backdrop for the work's themes of race and justice.

Sources

Evidence and links