Zhao Mengyu
Letter from a Stranger
Zhao Mengyu
Friday
10–6pm
Roaming / 14th Street from Avenue A to Third Avenue
Saturday
10–6pm
Roaming / 14th Street from University Place to Seventh Avenue
Sunday
1–6pm
Roaming / 14th Street from Seventh to Eleventh Avenues
Letter from a Stranger is a specially-designed mailbox installation along 14th Street, inspired by New York City’s vibrant street art. The mailbox incorporates patterns from murals, graffiti, and random stickers, embodying the city’s inclusive, energetic, open, and playful spirit. It creates a tangible platform for people to connect and show mutual care through the exchange of letters. Through this initiative, Mengyu Zhao hopes to convey that we are heard and can hear others, providing support and building connections, even with those we have yet to meet.
@mengyuuuu_zMengyu Zhao is an architectural designer and artist based in New York City. She holds a Master of Architecture from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Tsinghua University. Her portfolio spans from large civic architecture to multimedia art installations. Mengyu believes in the transformative power of art to inspire empathy and connection and aims to use her design to bring positive change to communities. Having moved to New York from Boston a little over a year ago, she understands the struggle of feeling alone in a vast, chaotic city where everything is unfamiliar. This past year has brought her much pain, and she recognizes the profound need for connection and communication. She hopes this project will make New Yorkers feel nurtured, supported, empowered, and inspired to extend care to others.