In a dark room sits a lone player piano. There is no sound emanating from it, other than the keys thumping. It's not what you would expect out of a piano.

But at the Whitney Biennial, expecting the unexpected is par for the course. The downtown museum's flagship exhibition is a survey of contemporary American art.

"To me, [the Whitney Biennial] like a time stamp of where we are, where the artists are, what conversations are they having, what are they thinking about," said Beatriz Cifuentes, a Whitney Biennial 2024 curatorial assistant. 

It's all about artists pushing the boundaries in addressing a number of topics and issues. The 2024 edition is called "Even Better than the Real Thing."

There are 71 artists and collectives participating through paintings, sculptures and films.

Many of the film displays are given a room of their own, providing for an immersive experience. Other pieces change through the run of the Biennial.  

"The curators were very interested in this topic of material agency, which is material changing over time and material behaving differently," Cifuentes said.

The Whitney is paying tribute to works from its first Biennial in 1932 with a digital map, called “Putting Artists on the Map.”

It invites viewers to discover the locations of New York City spots depicted by artists and see side-by-side photos from Max Touhey with what the locations look like today. Even the original location of the museum at 10 West 8th St. is included.

The Whitney has free Friday nights and free second Sundays for visits, but reservations are required. The Biennial is on display through August 11.

Plan your visit and see the digital map here.