Jumping in Art Museums

Allison Reimus

2006-Present

Exaltation reaches new heights in this ongoing project by Allison Reimus. The artist encourages museum patrons to go with their bodily instinct -- when brimming with joy (over art), jump for it. Also acceptable: cartwheels, handstands, and backbends. A friend of mine slid down a banister at The Louvre; I wonder if that's cool too.

http://jumpinginartmuseums.blogspot.com/

Demons Stole My Soul: Rock ‘n Roll Drums in Contemporary Art

Camilla Singh (curator)
June 3 – July 3, 2005

This is an exhibition dedicated to the western drum kit. I used to be perfectly content playing the drums all by myself in a corner of my parents' basement. A consequence to never playing in public, I will always wonder about it like the-one-that-got-away. Curating this show or playing in public would have satisfied the same desire that I have now.

Pictured is my favorite piece from Demons Stole My Soul: "Cheese Kit Diptych" by Dutch artist Water Willems. Willems built this kit to be played by Dutch improvisational jazz drummer Han Bennink, and considered it incomplete until Bennink played it. I think it works best left good and well alone as a sculpture... but give me ten years and maybe I'll wonder otherwise.

For a far more comprehensive review of the show, see Canadian writer R. M. Vaughan's blog entry here.

Walls Notebook

Sherwood Forlee
2009

Eighty blank walls around NYC are featured in this book, inviting you to tag to your heart's content, 100% risk-free. In addition to the book's intention, it also serves as a photo album of clean walls, instilling a heightened awareness of them and the lack/abundance of graffiti. For a taste of the book, check out Forlee's online version of the project.

The Lost Tribes of New York City

Andy & Carolyn London
2009

Here NY-based couple/production team London Squared present the stories of NYers through inanimate objects, playing up the significance of both.