Ann Hamilton: Event of a Thread

Last week I was lucky enough to attend the opening party for Ann Hamilton's Event of a Thread at the Park Avenue Armory.  I can't even begin to describe how amazing it is.  And click here to read the New York Times review and see more photos.

Murder of Crows

Last week I went to see the life changing, mood altering "sound play" entitled Murder of Crows at the Park Avenue Armory.  In the vast hall there is a small, dim pool of light, with a circle of chairs.  Half occupied by speakers, half are empty, inviting visitors to sit and be enveloped in a world of sound.  You can sit in the chairs, lay on the floor, or walk through the forest of speakers clustered in the center of this large room.

In the center of the circle is this lone phonograph, with a woman's voice speaking from within. 

Astral Converted

This past Friday I went to see Astral Converted at the Park Avenue Armory, my favorite art venue in the city.  The choreography is by Trisha Brown, set design by Robert Rauschenberg, and music by John Cage. Quite a combination!

"...eight metal towers, two each in heights of 2, 4, 6, and 8 feet.  They would be self contained and house all our theatrical gear, most of it from the auto industry: car batteries, headlights, stereo systems and sensors.  The sensors were pointed to trigger the lights and sound to turn on or off when a dancer passed.  Small control boards were added to achieve a degree of randomness to the dancer/sensor relationship."

"The costumes are shiny silver and white skintight unitards marked by white reflector stripes that augment visibility in the piercing striated lighting of the headlights. The women have a white triangular piece of fabric attached to the inseam of their costumes suggesting a skirt. Bob always differentiates between women and men.  In this case they look like a species, both genders present, and out there somewhere in deep space."

Excerts from "Collaboration: Life and Death in the Aesthetic Zone," by Trisha Brown, an essay that appears in Robert Rauschenberg: A Retrospective (1997)

I Love the Park Avenue Armory

Last week I attended a performance by Shen Wei Dance Arts at the Park Avenue Armory. Not only was it an amazing show, but the space of the armory itself is always a huge part of why I love going there for shows.  If you haven't been there yet, go immediately.

Ryoji Ikeda: The Transfinite!

I went to see Ryoji Ikeda's show at one of my most favorite places to see art in New York City, the Park Avenue Armory.   The artist uses data, sound, rhythm, scale, light, and shadow to overwhelm the senses and create a complete environment - a world you are drawn into upon entering the space, in which it seems that nothing else outside of it exists.  I absolutely loved this show, and hope to see more of Ikeda's work soon!

Transfinite

Really need to see this exhibit, Transfinite, at the Park Avenue Armory, opening on May 20th!

Les Ephémères

Thanks Elise for getting me tickets to one of the most amazing shows I have seen ever! Elise works for Le Théâtre du Soleil, the world renowned French theater company that performed their 7 hour show, Les Ephémères, as part of the Lincoln Center Festival, in association with the Park Avenue Armory. (Here's a link to their website , if you understand French) Les Ephémères "explores personal stories of pain and compassion in episodes that reflect our common experiences to find meaning in the mundane." The acting was so rich and nuanced and the lighting and music set the stage just right, that by the end of the show, I felt as though I knew the characters and had lived with them through the pain they endure in the story.

The audience sits on either side of the elliptical stage, but the actors literally float before your eyes on circular platforms that rotate and move across the stage as they are pushed by other members of the cast.


Their entire stage and set is a freestanding structure, like a rectangular circus tent, that can be erected in any large space. The main room in the Armory was perfect for it.


Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures during the show, but here are some photos of before, where you can see the actors putting on their makeup and costumes. If you ever have the chance to see any performance by Le Théâtre du Soleil, take it.

Ernesto Neto

I don't care how busy you are. You NEED to see (and smell) the Ernesto Neto installation at the Park Avenue Armory in Manhattan.

Its a space within a space. Its an installation of a complex of tunnels and caves formed of thin, translucent, stretchable fabric, inside of the old armory on Park Avenue.

The first thing I noticed was the overwhelming smell, and after walking into the room realized that each of the long tentacles that hang from the ceiling are filled with cinnamon, cayenne pepper (don't touch that one - it'll get in your eyes and burn), cloves, and other fragrant spices.

Its an all encompassing sensory experience. Smell it, taste it, touch it (the walls are really soft and squishy!) Walk in it, through it, around it. See the changes in perspective as you move around it and through it.

I don't care what you do, just go see it!