Adelle Lutz
The Peace Piece
New York City
2003
In reaction to the spring 2003 declaration of the
American war with Iraq, costume designer and artist Adelle Lutz conceived a
project designed to remind the public that the victims of war are
overwhelmingly children and women. The Peace Piece therefore consisted of
women, dancers, and teachers who slowly walked through select public spaces in
New York City while wearing hand-painted burkas depicting UN statistics—such as
“23 million people live in Iraq. Half are children” and “90% of war casualties
are civilians”—while other burkas bore a hand-painted full-term fetus.
I like it because Lutz’s performance intended to
encourage unsuspecting audiences on the street to pause, reflect, and consider
the current global situation. Also, it is a really powerful
and elegant performance art. It opened a fresh perspective on world events,
encouraged dialogue, and resonated within our individual and collective
memories, making a difference to the viewer and wearer alike. The words are
really clear, simple, but strong, and make people think a lot.
Leap
by Chris Doyle
2000
Installation at 2 Columbus Circle, Manhattan, and in the New York City subway system.
LEAP began with the video taping of 420 New Yorkers who live at the end points of all the subway lines that pass through the Columbus Circle. Each participant was asked to stand in front of a black backdrop and jump as high as possible. Each was then interviewed about his or her hopes and aspirations. The video jumps were slowed and edited so that each person was projected one at a time, standing at the base of the building and then leaping up across the height of the facade, disappearing into the night sky. Close-up photos of the faces of the jumpers and quotes from the interviews were combined on subway car cards that were posted throughout the system for the two months surrounding the project.
I like it because all the people can actually join into the process, and interact with this installation art. Each participant was ask about their hope and dreams, and was given a chance to jump. It is so interesting to see the that whole process is showing everyone the possibilities of what everyone can do.
new york city sky events: Neon Rainbow
Otto Piene and Alejandro Sina
1976
central park
Neon Rainbow, the second New York Sky Event in the summer of 1976, consisted of a three-hundred-foot polyethylene arc that soared 150 feet above the 59th Street Pond in Central Park and was visible for miles.
In collaboration with light artist Alejandro Sina, artist Otto Piene attached seventy-five slender, red neon tubes—each two feet in length—to the polyethylene arc. This created a dual visual effect: during the day, the outline of the arc predominated, but as night fell, the lights, programmed for a strobe effect, illuminated the summer sky.
In collaboration with light artist Alejandro Sina, artist Otto Piene attached seventy-five slender, red neon tubes—each two feet in length—to the polyethylene arc. This created a dual visual effect: during the day, the outline of the arc predominated, but as night fell, the lights, programmed for a strobe effect, illuminated the summer sky.
I like this work because, first, it is a really large sculpture which can make a lot of people participate; second, it combined electricity and technology in an expressly kinetic, natural and visual manner which is really impressive and creative. Also, it showed the different features in daytime and night, and gave people the different feelings to look at it, and different ways to interact with it.
-Reven
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