Centuries ago, when New York was established as a prominent port on the Atlantic Coast, traders moored ships in what is now Brooklyn Bridge Park. Slaves were often on those ships, brought over from Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe. The park’s history is not lost on Hugh Hayden, an artist and activist who creates thorny designs that revisit the American dream. Now curating his first show, Hayden has asked prominent artists—Leilah Babirye, Dozie Kanu, Tau Lewis, and Kiyan Williams among them—to create site-specific works on the park’s piers. Each installation is wildly different, and each invokes the African-American experience. —Elena Clavarino