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Postcard from the swings

Postcard from the swings

This is a little departure from my regular “postcard” posts, but, alas, my external hard drive is broken (with, you know, all of my photos since 2009–don’t even offer any insight on the importance of backing things up as I assure I have already yelled it to myself in my head) and the wifi at my house is also broken (I’ve been relishing in evening books instead of blogs!).

Ann Hamilton's Event of a Thread at Park Avenue Armory

So, you’re stuck looking at unedited iPhone photos of something really cool that I didn’t plan on blogging about. Formally known as The Event of a Thread, an installation by Ann Hamilton at the Park Avenue Armory, I referred to it as “the giant swings” for weeks. It was a crazy art installation that incorporated swings–for people to actually swing on!–and a giant sheet, an elaborate rope-pulley system, and more curiously, pigeons and an opera singer.

But really, we were there for the swings. As my friend Aly said: “I didn’t expect to feel such overwhelming joy from swinging.” But we did, and it was totally worth the two-hour wait that wrapped around a city block in the New York City January chill (another important lesson in not waiting until the last day to visit an installation). This weekend, I won’t be doing anything nearly as cool but I will be working on getting both my external hard drive and wifi fixed.

Christine Amorose at Event of a Thread by Ann Hamilton at Park Avenue Armory

Christine Amorose at Event of a Thread by Ann Hamilton at Park Avenue Armory

Christine Amorose and Aly Gill at Event of a thread by Ann Hamilton at the Park Avenue Armory

Christine Amorose & Aly Gill at the Event of a Thread by Ann Hamilton at Park Avenue Armory

Pigeons at the Ann Hamilton Event of a Thread installation at Park Avenue Armory

Record machine at Event of a Thread by Ann Hamilton at Park Avenue Armory

Paper reads: “Approximately 20 minutes before closing, a singer appears on the balcony at the west end of the drill hall. This machine cuts a record of their song. On the following day, when the exhibition opens, the previous recordings play.”

 Man writing letters at Event of a Thread by Ann Hamilton at Park Avenue Armory

The giant swings, or Event of a thread by Ann Hamilton at the Park Avenue Armory