Matt Starr practicing consuming an American flag (image via Facebook)
This week, an artist eats an American flag, Thomas Jefferson’s slave mistress leads a tour of Storm King, you can edit Wikipedia in celebration of LGBTQ pride, and more.
Artist Eats American Flag
When: Tuesday, June 28, 6pm
Where: Tumblr HQ (35 East 21st Street, Flatiron District, Manhattan)
Does it take a literally gut-wrenching stunt to get young people involved in the political process and discussing the state of democracy today? Artist Matt Starr seems to think so: he’s planning on eating an American flag (designed by music man Matt FX, of Broad City fame) “to reclaim what it means to be American.” Like your average dish, the flag will be cooked (presumably with a medley of condiments or foodstuffs that scream “AMERICA”). An opera singer will then sing the national anthem, a lineup of speakers including former Daily Show correspondent Jena Friedman will take the stage to talk politics, a youth drum line will provide some beats, and finally, Starr will eat the flag. There will also be cake for all, because democracy. —CV
Slow Movement
A dancer performing Maria Hassabi’s ‘PLASTIC’ at MoMA in March (photo by the author for Hyperallergic) (click to enlarge)
When: Tuesday, June 28–Thursday, June 30, 7–7:30pm
Where: High Line (West 30th Street between Eleventh and Twelfth Avenues, Chelsea, Manhattan)
The dancers in Maria Hassabi’s work move so slowly it’s almost inperceptible: if you want to see the changes, you have to stop and really watch. As if that weren’t hard enough, the positions they inhabit are far from simple — at MoMA earlier this year, I saw a performer roll her way, painstakingly slowly, across a couch while laying upside down. It was utterly mesmerizing, and I’m sure Hassabi’s newest work — a piece for four entangled dancers debuting at the High Line this week — will be too.
Sculpting Inequality
When: Opens Tuesday, June 28, 6–8pm
Where: International Studio and Curatorial Program (1040 Metropolitan Avenue, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
We all know that the US middle class is shrinking, but would we understand that reality better if we saw it represented as bundles of colored sticks? The artist duo Richard Ibghy and Marilou Lemmens uses basic materials like string and plastic to turn academic charts and graphs into minimal geometric sculptures. In their show at ISCP, they turn their attention to measures of wealth inequality, in the process opening up a potent gap between data and knowledge.
Richard Ibghy & Marilou Lemmens, “Interconnections Between Inequality and Financialization Using Seven Key Indicators of Economic Instability” (2016) (courtesy the artists and ISCP)
Wikipedia Pride Edit-a-thon
When: Wednesday, June 29, 6–8:30pm
Where: MoMA Cullman Education and Research Building (4 West 54th Street, Midtown, Manhattan)
MoMA hosts its latest themed Wikipedia editing marathon, this one focused on filling out the pages devoted to LGBTQ issues — not just in art and culture, but also in other fields including medicine, politics, science, and business. Organizers will place a particular emphasis on adding images and scholarly source citations to existing pages and building out new ones. Just don’t forget to BYOCC (computer and cord), plus ideas for pages in need of attention (or creation). —BS
Struggles of Incarcerated Women
Brittany Knapp, “She Was Low” (2013), wood burning and paint on mounted plywood, 48 x 52 inches (image courtesy Visions of Confinement)
When: Opens Wednesday, June 29
Where: Hunter East Harlem Gallery (2180 Third Avenue, East Harlem, Manhattan)
This summer, the Hunter East Harlem Gallery is offering a closer look at the lives of incarcerated women, both while and after residing in prison. The show will feature artwork by formerly incarcerated artists, a letter-writing station, a dialogue wall, statistics on prison conditions, and a lounge to encourage conversation. Envisioned as “an educational laboratory,” the project not only looks at how incarceration effects women on a personal level but also how the prison crisis impacts a much larger social network. —EWA
The Worst Movie Ever Made
When: Friday July 1–Sunday, July 3, 12am ($12)
Where: Sunshine Cinema (143 East Houston Street, Bowery, Manhattan)
Tommy Wiseau’s The Room (2003) has consistently been described as one of the worst films ever made. The dialogue is awful, the acting is atrocious, and there are dead-end subplots. It’s also a cult favorite. Wiseau plays Johnny, a successful banker who discovers that his girlfriend Lisa is having an affair. There’s also something about a debt to a drug dealer, and Lisa’s mother casually mentions that she has breast cancer. That’s basically it. Consistently and unintentionally funny, The Room has to be seen to be believed. —TM
A Tour of Storm King with Sally Hemmings
When: Saturday, July 2 & Sunday, July 3, 2pm
Where: Storm King Art Center (1 Museum Road, New Windsor, New York)
Storm King is always a good destination for a long weekend, but this Independence Day, artist Marisa Williamson offers a chance visit the sculpture park and think critically about it (as well as our country’s history). Williamson will continue her ongoing performances as Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson’s slave and mistress, by leading two tours that “examine the concept of legacy” — and how it’s literally built — from the back of Storm King’s official tram bus.
Meet the Fort Jay Eagle
When: Saturday, July 2–Sunday, July 3, 10:30am–3:30pm (free with RSVP)
Where: Fort Jay (Governors Island, New York Harbor)
This weekend, the National Park Service is hosting a rare chance to visit the perch of the eagle sculpture on the monumental arch of Fort Jay on Governors Island. The tours are free and involve a climb up the scaffolding. The sandstone carving by an unknown 18th-century artist has weathered a lot out in the New York Harbor, including Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and is now in major need of preservation. The Friends of Governors Island have launched a #SaveOurEagle campaign, and the proud bird posed on a cannon is also in the running for funding from the Vote Your Park competition by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and American Express. —AM
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With contributions by Elisa Wouk Almino, Allison Meier, Tiernan Morgan, Benjamin Sutton, and Claire Voon
