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January 11, 2007
Sleepwalkers at MoMA: Sneak Preview
As D and I were heading up the escalator after a movie at MoMA tonight, we looked out the window and noticed very large images being projected on the exterior walls of MoMA in the sculpture garden. We looked for a while, admiring what we saw. We were curious about what it might be and hadn't seen it when we'd been to a MoMA movie the week before, so we knew it was new. We commented on the clarity of the picture and speculated about projectors.
After a minute or so I heard someone say D's name, and it turned out to be someone he'd worked with, and also someone who was helping to install this projected work (he'd seen D from the garden -- lucky for us, no?). He led us into the garden for a special tour. The picture we'd seen pieces of before stretched out across three surfaces -- there were four different projections going at once, and the building was acting as four giant screens. It's part of a new installation by Doug Aitken called Sleepwalkers that officially kicks off on Tuesday. The concept is great, the execution is really well done, and the film itself looked fascinating. The cinematography and color and tone of the scenes we saw were wonderful. I can't wait to see more, though I'll have to brave the cold to do so.
Scenes will also be projected on the front of the building (from a building across the street). It's a great comment on public and private space, as the images I saw were pretty private -- sleeping bodies in bedrooms, a detail of someone's hand, a close-up of something just seen from far away. The web site has more information on the story line. It seems like something very enjoyable to watch, although a bit complicated to watch (by design) since there are four different scenes playing on four different walls at once in the garden -- you can't possibly see all of them at once, so you have to participate and choose a narrative. I suppose you could watch it several times, focusing on a different screen or screens each time -- the possibilities are endless.
The concept also got us thinking about public art installations using projectors -- there are so, so many possibilities. There was an interesting piece in Union Square over the holidays, for instance. Bright stars were projected on the sidewalk from above -- when you walked through the space, your movement displaced the stars and flung them in all directions -- it was a bit like scattering pigeons. I wasn't in a great mood and was skeptical about the whole thing, but it was too fun to be annoying. It would be great to see an interactive experiment with a more serious theme and images that force you to either reconsider your surroundings or recognize your role in a larger urban landscape.
I'm jealous of the people who live in the building across the street from MoMA (the one with the semi-circular windows) -- they have a three-sided projection right out their window, and circular bay windows to watch it from (and it's WARM in there). Someone should have a party and charge admission.
Update: Somewhat related: there's an interactice LED project going on.
Posted by csageday at January 11, 2007 11:19 PM