Interactive

Felicity and I hit the ICA yesterday morning where there's a fun, interesting show up: William Forsythe: Choreographic Objects – Interactive works by a legendary choreographer, designed to stimulate movement from visitors.

The first piece is a giant mirrored wall. It reflects like a fun house mirror on magic ‘shroom laced steroids.  A group of elementary school kids came in – watching them pose, dance and play was a gas.

The next room held an installation called The Fact of Matter. It was filled with gymnastic style rings suspended at a variety of levels from fat. wide, strong cords. The idea is to climb your way through the room. HOW FUN! No, I didn’t try it. I’m just too damn physically unstable right now. Maybe I could go back post-surgery, post-recovery and try it then. I SO want to!

Next: a big-ass space with, suspended from the very high ceiling, plumb bobs falling at about ankle height. They were all swinging and not necessarily in tandem or harmony. The assignment was to thread through the corridors of swinging bobs without having one hit you. It put Galaxy Quest’s Chompers in mind...of fucking course! Astoundingly, I made it through unscathed! Maybe I'm not quite as physically unstable as I'd thought?

I think my favorite piece was a short film entitled Alignigung. Rauf ”RubberLegz” Yasit and Riley Watts are tangled together, threading themselves through and around eachother, creating “optical puzzles.”

In these puzzles, it is obvious to the viewer that there are only two persons in the composition, but the complex threading of their two bodies creates optical conundrums that frequently defy the apparent logic of the situation. (source)

Gorgeous.

There were a few pieces/activities which required hearing and one where I was instructed to pick up a feather duster and hold it absolutely still. Yeah, no. Hearing is kaput and my awesome nerve damage ensures that I will always shake and shudder. I suppose, being four days out from major slice-age. I'm a little sensitive and physically insecure. This WILL pass.

In any case, I loved the show and def want to see it again post-op.

The ICA is located in the evolving, burgeoning Seaport District. This ex fishing and shipping neighborhood became a wasteland of parking lots, abandoned factory buildings and then, dicey, grungy squats for artists and musicians. Now, it’s all gleaming, curved glass skyscrapers, fancy schmancy hotels, rejuvenated, atmospheric, old brick buildings with brill cafés and bars. It’s slick as shit and molto expensive with studio apartments (i.e. one room – no separate bedroom) starting at two and a half Gs. WHERE do all these über wealthy people work? DO they work or is this Trust Funder Central?

One neato keen thing – the urban planning folk are putting in some street art. This Paul Klee by way of André Derain and Robert Delaunayish deer was a lovely eye feast amongst all the concrete and glass.