It is time to reflect on the trip to NYC and set together quick notes on the places I could visit and people I had a pleasure to meet. This couple days were very effective but I am sure I have to come again.
Image: Pablo Helguera, Artoons, 2008, Courtesy Jorge Pinto Books Inc.
Friday/19.02.
CENTRAL BOOKING
On Friday Central Booking held a Pablo Helguera Performative Reading and Book Signing. The venue is a place for artist’s books and prints and their integration into the larger art world, led by Maddy Rosenberg.
Pablo Helguera (born April 25, 1971, Mexico City) is an artist, performer, author, and Director of Adult and Academic Programs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He is the author of many books including The Parable Conference, (2014), Education for Socially Engaged Art (2011) and Art Scenes: The Social Scripts of the Art World (2012).
On the same street you can find MINI/GOETHE-INSTITUT CURATORIAL RESIDENCIES LUDLOW 38. It is the Goethe-Institut New York’s contemporary art space.
Saturday/20.02
New Museum New York
The must was to visit New Museum New York. During the past years following the development of the institution I have enjoyed noticing how they can capture the new thinking models and develop working groups, publications, discussions about important themes and harvest the knowledge production. Berlinerpool was invited to take part in one of project called Art Spaces Directory. Maybe it wasn’t a direct participation but for a person who is deeply interested in #archivingcultures it was great to experience the inner workings of the process:
“The Art Spaces Directory is an international guide to the sites where contemporary art and artists are nurtured, interrogated, and sustained. Building on the Museum as Hub model, the 2012 New Museum Triennial, “The Ungovernables,” incorporated lengthy consultation with a network of curators, organizations, and artists from around the world, including Museum as Hub partners. Their contributions have inspired the Art Spaces Directory, a resource guide to over 400 independent art spaces from ninety-six countries around the world. The Art Spaces Directory was edited by Eungie Joo, Keith Haring Director of Education and Public Programs, and Ethan Swan, Education Associate.”
The show on view was ANRI SALA: ANSWER ME. “Highlighting Sala’s continuing interest in how sound and music can engage architecture and history, “Anri Sala: Answer Me” features extensive multichannel audio and video installations that unfold across the Second, Third, and Fourth Floor galleries, composing a symphonic experience specific to the New Museum.” My favorite piece was a video where to symphonies were being mixed live on the turntables. All in an aura of a copula like white space. http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/view/anri-sala
MoMA PS1
I just run quickly through it. When I was entering 2nd floor the guard said it is closing time. I was tired and hungry. Fortunately there is a great Diner on the corner.
Sunday/21.02
Whitney Museum of American Art
Well rested and ready for a new day I started with a short visit at the Brooklyn Bridge and moved on to Whitney Museum of American Art which had on view Thea Westreich Wagner and Ethan Wagner Collection. On the way back I accidentally passed through the fascinating space of Chelsea Market.
Metropolitan Exchange Bank Building
For a dinner I joined Karolina Sobecka at Woodbine. It is an experimental hub in Ridgewood, Queens for developing the skills, practices, and tools for building autonomy in the Anthropocene.
On the way back Karolina showed me her working space located in Metropolitan Exchange Bank Building next to BAM | Brooklyn Academy of Music. When we entered the 7th floor I had the feeling we are in some kind of a wizards den. Everything was moving and small lights where twinkling in every corner. The place is a home for:
Dark Matter Manufacturing, collective of artists, engineers, designers, and scientists.
Flightphase is led by Karolina Sobecka and James George. Embracing emerging technologies, interactivity and new media as well as the traditional tools of creative expression, Flightphase focuses on considered design and unique creative and technical solutions, developing work that is engaging and evocative. In addition to working as a directorial team, Flightphase works on art commissions and independent art projects.
Genspace – New York City’s Community Biolab – is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting citizen science and access to biotechnology. Since 2009 served the greater New York area by providing educational outreach, cultural events, and a platform for science innovation at the grassroots level. In December 2010 opened the first-ever community biotechnology laboratory, a Biosafety Level One facility in Brooklyn, New York, where they offer hands-on courses to the public, provide extracurricular experiences for students, and encourage scientific entrepreneurship, particularly in the fields of molecular and synthetic biology. As a community-based lab, Genspace offers members the unique opportunity to work on their own projects and experience the joy and wonder of science firsthand.
… and many more. On the picture below you can see the view from the party ready roof top.
Monday/22.02
iscp – International Studio & Curatorial Program
In the distance of 30 minutes of a walk on a sunny side of the street from my amazing airbnb host Donald was iscp – International Studio & Curatorial Program. Since my main point of the trip to USA was to moderate a panel on US based residencies in Boston later this week it was right to visit the director of ISCP Susan Hapgood. It was a great privilege to be guided through her space and receive insights on the working model and future plans for the project.
As in the last
Tueasday/23.02
Residency Unlimited
The rainy morning started with a coffee and a chat with colleagues from Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York. It was good to hear about polish community involvement in creating cultural events in the city. The news for me was that there is 150 independent polish cultural organisations taking part in events making, concerts and exhibitions. Than it was a time to go to church.
HQ of Residency Unlimited are located in the entrance of the church building that serves as an office and meeting space. Boshko Boskovic is the Program Director of Residency Unlimited who guided me through the model of the residents selection processes, preparation of the artists that are coming to the residency and networking activities while they are on the spot. Sebastien Sanz de Santamaria – Director of Operations at RU is a colleague of mine since the times I have been an editor at mondaynews.net At RU he provides a free calendar service residencies application around the world. Because of the quality of the source in the 5 past years he build up quite large number of followers.
Last polish accent of the trip was a first and hopefully not last conversation with Bartek Remisko, board member of RU and the advisor in New York for Public Affairs and International Relations to the Chairman of PG Energy in Warsaw (Poland). Until recently he was the Head of the Polish Cultural Institute New York, in charge of Visual Arts and Polish-Jewish relations.
My trip to NYC and Boston was
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