NEW YORK.- The Museum of Modern Art presents "Life of the City", on view through May 21, 2002. This is both a tribute to New York City and an exploration of photography’s role in shaping a community. The first of three components presents more than 150 outstanding New York photographs from the Museum’s collection. The second component is a revolving display of photographs contributed by New Yorkers and others—amateurs and professionals alike—to express their relationships to the city. Completing the exhibition is a digital display of the thousands of photographs assembled by Here is New York, an extraordinary photographic initiative created in response to the events of September 11. Life of the City is organized by the curatorial staff of the Museum’s Department of Photography with the generous cooperation of the organizers of Here is New York. Life of the City celebrates New York. By bringing together landmarks of modern art and ordinary snapshots, the exhibition also probes a common denominator of photography. “To make a photograph is to point out something that matters,” says Peter Galassi, Chief Curator, Department of Photography. “That is just as true whether the photographer is an accomplished artist or an ordinary citizen. The exhibition is an experiment. We hope it will tell us how people feel about the city. Perhaps it will also teach us something about photography.”