At 205 Hudson, Dario Robelto’s “I Miss Everyone Who Has Ever Gone Away,” 1997 recreated 2007.
Little airplanes folded from the wrappers of candies from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s famous candy-pile artworks memorializing AIDS victims. It’s artistic appropriation in the most unexpected and literal way.
Hunter College boasts not one but four art venues, collectively the “Hunter College Art Galleries.” If this were earlier in my museum expedition, I probably would write about each of them separately. At this stage, though, I crave variety in my write-ups, to say nothing of efficiency. And Hunter itself thinks of them in the collective. So my review covers all four spaces in one. It gets four dots on the map, though. Continue reading “Hunter College Art Galleries”
To complement the silent Warhol videos, the Swiss Institute played a recording of Erik Satie’s piano piece, “42 Vexations.” I felt a goodly number of vexations while at the Swiss Institute, but fewer than that.
The Swiss Institute is a tiny open gallery space in the ground floor of an old Tribeca building. It’s small and very straightforward, with a little exposed brick and some antique floor tile, but without much floor area to play around with.
Seeing the place, I hypothesized that it was named after a guy, like it’s the gallery of Mike Swiss. However, I’ve confirmed it is the country, not a person. I’m a little puzzled by why the Swiss might want to have a tiny art space in a city replete with them. Is it fiercely neutral? Quixotically democratic? Do they serve great chocolate? None of those things as far as I could tell.
Currently the Swiss Institute is participating in the artist Ugo Rondinone’s multi-gallery birthday present to his husband, “I ♥ John Giorno.” I saw another part of that installation at White Columns a week ago.
Warhol Films Sleep, Induces Same
Here, Rondinone (who is Swiss, so at least there’s some kind of connection) features a series of Andy Warhol videos. Young John Giorno was Warhol’s muse and lover. Projected super-large on the wall in digitized grainy black-and-white is “Sleep” (1963), featuring over five hours of Giorno sleeping. *Yawn.*
Warhol’s “Sleep,” and other videos
Cathode-ray tube monitors around the perimeter of the gallery feature other Warhol videos of Giorno and mutual friends. Two videos show him in the altogether: hanging out (literally) in a hammock and doing the dishes.
I appreciated that they’re showing the videos on CRTs. As at BRIC House, showing video art on the intended screen works way better than trying to put it on a modern, retina display panel.
However, I find Warhol’s videos insanely boring. His screen test close-ups of people just sitting there, his home-movie-style shaky cam videos of his friends goofing around, his naughty videos of naked guys… All of it seems amateurish and tame and lame. Rondinone curating Warhol’s work in the context of his self-indulgent project doesn’t bring anything new to the table. It also doesn’t make it particularly Swiss.
You Can Miss the Swiss
I don’t know who should go to the Swiss Institute. Of course, it might be worth it depending on the content of future shows. But unless they move, they will never have space to show very much of anything. There are many better, bigger, more interesting places to see art in this city. Unless they manage a blockbuster coup of a show (which old Warhol videos of Giorno are definitely not), or start giving away free chocolate, it’s very safe to skip this one.
In addition to coins, the Numismatic Society has some paper money, including this 1855 Bank of NY note. It’s been a while since I heard the phrase “queer as a three dollar bill” but I never thought I’d actually see one.
The American Numismatic Society is the center for all things related to the world of coins and coin collecting. Their offices in Tribeca are literally a vault, with a heavily secured air lock-style entry way. There’s a noticeable difference in air pressure when you go in, too.
As well it should be. They have a very large reference collection and heaven only knows what all that coinage might be worth.
And yet, for reasons I’m unclear on, they nonetheless have a small display area of about four cases open to the public. Any schmoe can wander in off the street, show a photo ID and sign in, and take a look.
There are definitely some interesting things, and everything is well-labeled and explained. They have commemorative medals as well as currency, and among the more exotic types of money on display are some examples of African iron currency, which tended to be very difficult to carry around in your pocket.
I think the Society’s exhibit is too small to strongly recommend a visit. But it does offer a brief-but-thorough overview of coinage through the ages, going all the way back to a cuneiform tablet. If you’re at all curious or you collected coins as a kid you might enjoy dropping by.