I recently went to an interactive art exhibit called “Unspoken” by Ann Lewis. This exhibition is very low-key, and you can easily miss the studio or think it’s closed (which happened to me not once, but TWICE). studioSPACEnyc is hosting the event at 149 West 14th St. in Chelsea.
The moment you walk through the blacked-out doors, you’ll see the plethora of strings all over the room. It is only then that you will realize that the reason the storefront is blacked out is because there are only two rotating lights illuminating the room and strings. The strings are arranged in three sections. The two on the sides are just regular plastic strings hanging from the ceiling, but the middle clump is special. The middle section has shorter strings and at the ends of them are what appears to be toe tags that belong on corpses in the morgue. But instead, they’re actually just cards with questions like “What makes life real?” and “Do we actually exist?” These are tags are the interactive portion of the exhibit. The lady at the table in front will hand a card and pen to you when you walk in. You are asked to fill out the card and tie it to one of the strings in the middle.
While the artist tasks you with answering existential questions, you can lay on lounging cushions to stare up at the lights and think. With the lights cast over them, you will feel like billions of stars are surrounding you. I think this is very precious given that we are in New York City and the light pollution makes it impossible for stargazing. It is an excellent opportunity to experience an imitation of the activity.
So, if you happen to be in the area on February 15th, make sure to drop by and check it out. It’s the last day to see it! Unlike most free events and shows in New York, this one doesn’t even have a line. Just walk in and weigh the reasons for living.
[All photos by Lily Yonglin Chen and Brandon Chee]