LHaus
Jul 6 2010

Long Island City’s PS1 MoMA puts the ‘art’ in party with summer WarmUp 2010

PS1 MoMA Summer WarmUp party 2010

PS1 MoMA Summer WarmUp 2010, Long Island City — photo: Jesse Winter

It was a HOT Independence Day weekend, probably one of the hottest in a while. And Long Island City, with its mostly low-to-the-ground industrial landscape really just bakes in the inferno. (El infierno is more like it.) Well our favorite, world-reknowned contemporary art museum PS1 MoMA gave us a brief respite from the heat, with an adult version of a sprinkler set in this weekend’s kick-off to the very popular summer WarmUp music festival, featuring the latest courtyard installation ‘Pole Dance‘. liQcity’s newest roving photographer and blogger Jesse Winter was there to capture the vibe, some great photos, and a video:

ps1_warmup4

PS1 MoMA Summer WarmUp 2010, Long Island City — photo: Jesse Winter

PS1 puts the art in party on a steaming Saturday afternoon in July as fashionable young adults converge in Queens to consume some hip and refreshing LIC. The pumping bass sent vibrations through a crowd of thirsty visitors and kept the energy on full tilt as the afternoon sun passed behind the stage in front of the entrance to PS1 MoMA. For us LIC locals, we felt especially proud to flash our proof of residency and pass through a special designated line, free of charge into the gathering. The concert stage balanced live acts with DJ’s and never stopped supplying the grooves which blanketed the lawn of gravel scattered with exercise balls used as chairs in organic arrangements as if everyone was together in a reunion of sorts that had a mutual understanding for the collective enjoyment.

PS1 MoMA Summer WarmUp party 2010

PS1 MoMA Summer WarmUp 2010, Long Island City — photo: Jesse Winter

The museum itself gave us repose inside and we stimulated our eyes and ears with everything from trash pop psuedo basement porn to sophisticated black & white portraits. There were mixed-media installations: one clipping rap videos to resampled classic music scores, and a floor made of baseball bats. The beauty and the happy tragedy of viewing art at PS1 is that it’s free flowing, inspired, and entertaining but therefore overwhelming. Being pulled from one room to another in a storm of creative expression it felt like a torrent of different ideas being poured upon me and all I could do was be in the experience. Too much analysis and it would have lost the effect.

Once I emerged back into the fray, I found the beverage stand, a purple ball to bounce on, and some new friends kept me anchored until nearly sunset. PS1 summer WarmUp can only be experienced to be enjoyed. It is a gift to be unwrapped. –JW

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Arts

14 Comments

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I love that LIC residents can go for free! It’s great all year round, but especially during the warmups. PS1 is seriously one of the best things in LIC, hands down.

#1 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

is that pool still there?

#2 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

Yep. I stopped by on sat and it was really hot. The installation is fun to play with and the water is nice, but it’s not as shady as other ones in the past so it felt very hot to be there. But it had great music and definitely worth going.

#3 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

Next time stay near the sprayers, you’ll get surprisingly wet, soaked even, and you’ll be cool.

One of the best PS1′s EVER!!

Oh, and LIC residents get in free, but no plus 1′s, meaning you can’t bring a friend in for free. Boo hiss.

#4 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

Looks absolutely ugly and ridiculous. How low can you go, MoMA?If I want to splash in a grubby kiddie pool and play with beach balls, I’ll visit my uncle Nick’s house in Islip. At least I’ll only have to deal with several annoying people.

#5 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

#5, are you the same person who was dissing the fireworks on a recent post or are you another crabby apple? We seem to have an assortment of them in the neighborhood.

it’s just a pool, a party, a gathering of people having fun. No need to get upset.

#6 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

That installation looks like it was designed by a bunch of preschoolers, and the music lineup is garbage too. I’ve been going to the warm up parties since 98, and to be honest they officially jumped the shark a few years ago. Now it’s a bunch of hipsters standing around stroking their ironic beards while they admire their preschool art and crappy music.

#7 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

So is this what museums have to do today to attract visitors? Immerse themselves in schlock and tackiness? It’s revolting and unbecoming of an art institution of their stature. Dumbing it down to appeal to superficial dumbasses. Great. Honestly, what’s the difference between PS 1 now and Taxi Beach?

#8 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

I am disappointed by this years warm up. The so called art piece ” pole dance” is just plain lame. previous years have had an element of art to them. I liked the furry Volcano’s. This is exactly as #5 put it. The uncle’s house on the island. And # 8′s observation of the sameness of Water Taxi Beach. Terribly uncreative. The curator should be ashamed. Booo. Bad jop PS1

#9 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

I think the concept is better than the reality. I didn’t hate the art piece as much as others, but it’s kind of meh when you’re there. I thought it would be more interesting than it was. It’s basically just netting and water. And #7 what’s happening with PS1 warmup is the problem with what’s happening with LIC in general. It’s becoming more mainstream and the usual suckness is following. It’s the natural evolution of gentrification. Whatever has a raw, gritty coolness gets over-consumed and becomes a mass-produced experience. It’s unfortunate. I miss the old warmups too now that I think about it.

#10 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

I agree that this year’s is very bland but I don’t think MOMA cares about LIC gentrification. We are really not the center of the world, you know. It was just a bad selection.

#11 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

I didn’t say they cared about gentrification. I said the gentrification of LIC is spilling over into how the warmups are now, compared to how they were 5-10 years ago. Just a totally different vibe. And IMO, better then than now. IMHO, that is.

#12 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

Again, I think a larger point is being missed here. PS 1, supposedly, is among the greatest contemporary art museums in the country. Judged on this basis, are these warm-ups worthy of this institution? To me, it just seems like they are seriously debasing themselves and their purpose simply to attract the hordes. Do they want to showcase visionary art or do they want to compete with nightclubs in Ibiza? What’s next, ladies’ night?

#13 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

The purpose of these events is to generate revenue.

Additionally, they are supposed to attract people to the museum that wouldn’t otherwise go. In this way, they slowly increase their base. It also affects their branding. If young people perceive MOMA as cool, they engage younger and younger audiences.

#14 Anonymous / 1 year, 7 months ago

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