Arts In The City 050708

Arts In The City WEEKLY PICKS

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Courtesy of Creative

Time

foreheads. It’s an extension of the reaction-inducing Things might start style she introto look strange around the city this duced in New York month. Imagine decades ago, when 500 toy robots the young artist parading through would board the lower Manhatsubway wearing egg-soaked clothes tan, or people or crying. The Auswith enigmatic phrases written trian artists’ colbackwards on lective Gelitin will their foreheads. also work with the It’s all planned body, testing their as part of “Six physical limits by Actions for New digging and re-filling York City,” a series of holes on the Coney As part of Creative Time’s “Six Actions for New York,” art events celebrating Island beach all this Austrian artists’ collective Gelitin will perform daily on the the 33rd birthday of week. But while some beach of Coney Island from May 7-14. Creative Time, the of the artists involved pioneering public arts are dealing with the “The initial feeling from art in the organization. “Creative Time is physical form, all six actions relate ‘70s, in performance art, was to there to facilitate and be co-coldirectly to the city – whether that take it away from the commodimeans turning away from it or laborators for new relationships in fied object,” said Beasley. And asking people to come together. the city” said Mark Beasley, one as in the ‘70s happenings, there “It’s the kind of possibility of alof the curators of “Six Actions,” are no objects for sale here, and a month-long exhibition in which often, the body is used as a way lowing new desires to occur within five artists and one collective will of engaging with the audience, the city, or new relationships to create new works relating to New said Beasley. Last week, first-genhappen,” said Beasley. “In this York. In recognition of the exspace called art, there is this moeration conceptual artist Adrian Piper kicked off the actions, with perimental, in-your-face style of ment where people can reevaluate “Everything #10,” in which dozthe decade when Creative Time ways of looking at the city; suggest was born, co-curators Beasley other ways of being and living in ens of volunteers had the words and David Platzker selected “Everything Will be Taken Away,” the city.” artists working in a similar vein. temporarily tattooed onto their —Heather Corcoran

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SIX ACTIONS FOR NYC

10 • Resident The Week Of May 7, 2007

David Bowie, curator of the inaugural High Line Festival.

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This week, New York welcomes the newest arts extravaganza on the block — the High Line Festival. Curated by a different artist each year, for its inaugural incarnation, the festival features musicians, artists and films selected by guest curator David Bowie. Highlights include performance art from local legend Laurie Anderson and music from French duo Air, comedy from “Office” creator Ricky Gervais and photos by Claude Cahun. And if that weren’t enough reason to attend, five percent of every ticket’s price goes to the Friends of the High Line, a non-profit that supports development of the land into an elevated greenway. highlinefestival.com —H.C.

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SPOTLIGHT

Bring two canned food items for reduced admission to Danspace Project’s “Food for Thought,” three evenings of new work from young, local performers at St. Mark’s Church. May 8-10. danspaceproject.org The Met’s Costume Institute explores Paul Poiret, the innovative fin de siecle designer. Though he couldn’t sew, Poiret called himself the “King of Fashion,” and with his bright modern designs, it’s hard to disagree. Through August 5. metmuseum.org The Metropolitan Opera presents the first new production of Christoph Wilibald von Gluck’s “Orpheo ed Euridice,” in 35 years, this time with costumes from designer Isaac Mizrahi. Through May 20. metoperafamily.org Artistic pioneers Gilbert & George celebrate 40 years of collaboration with a new book “Gilbert & George: The Complete Pictures, 1971-2005.” Meet the artists before a major retrospective goes on tour, stopping in New York in late 2008. Aperture Gallery. May 12. aperture.org August Wilson’s most contemporary play, “Radio Golf,” opens on Broadway. Revisit the ‘90s with the acclaimed final chapter of Wilson’s decade-by-decade examination of black life in 20th-century America. May 8 at the Cort Theater. radiogolfonbroadway.com