Ryoji Ikeda's Large-Scale Audio/Visual Art Installation, "the transfinite" Opens At The Park Avenue Armory

video from heyheyny

Yesterday, the Park Avenue Armory opened a large-scale audio/video installation by sound and visual artist, Ryoji Ikeda called “the transfinite” a name inspired by the mathematical concept of transfinite numbers, which are larger than finite numbers, yet quantitative and ordered. A double-sided black and white video, which sometimes plunges unto total darkness, invites viewers to walk take off their shoes and walk into the art. Some visitors even lie down or dance on the art. The installation runs through June 11. The Park Avenue Armory is the perfect venue for this monumental art installation. It is located at 643 Park Avenue, between 66th and 67th Streets.

“To me, the purest beauty is the world of mathematics. Its perfect assemblage of numbers, magnitudes and forms persist, independent of us. The aesthetic experience of the sublime in mathematics is awe-inspiring. It is similar to the experience we have when we confront the vast magnitude of the universe, which always leaves us open-mouthed.” - Ryoji Ikeda

Mr. Ikeda lives and works in Paris, and has shown widely in Europe and Japan. This is his first major installation in the U.S.

Infinite Variety Of Red And White American Quilts At The Park Avenue Armory

The American Folk Art Museum is presenting a special satellite exhibition of 650 quilts called "Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts" that opened yesterday at the Park Avenue Armory. The historic 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall of the armory houses the dramatic installation of red and white American quilts, all of which are on loan from the collection of Joanna S. Rose. It is the largest exhibition of quilts ever held in the city. This event is free to the public, and will run through Wednesday, March 30. A café and a book and gift shop will be open during show hours (11 AM - 5 PM on March 27 and March 30; 11 AM - 7 PM on March 28 and 29). The Park Avenue Armory is located at 643 Park Avenue between 66th and 67th Streets.

Park Avenue Armory Indoor CARNIVAL

Park Avenue Armory is currently holding an extraordinary four-day, indoor Carnival—a whimsical and theatrical event featuring breathtaking performances, authentic carnival rides and games, and lots of neon lights. A massive fifty-foot Ferris wheel serves as the centerpiece. The carnival also features various performances and strolling stilt walkers from the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, magicians, jugglers, daredevils, and contortionists. There are picnic areas, a range of traditional carnival concessions, face painting, and educational workshops in the circus arts—including balloon sculpture, juggling, and pantomime. The carnival runs through Monday, October 11 (11:00 AM - 7:00 PM). Admission is $5 for adults and free for children 13 and under. Ride tickets cost $1.25, but each ride requires three to five tickets. Unlimited-ride bands are $20. The armory is located at 643 Park Avenue. 

Yoshitomo Nara + YNG Open Studio Works-In-Progress at Park Avenue Armory

Park Avenue Armory is currently providing a temporary studio for Japanese Neo Pop artist, Yoshitomo Nara and designer Hideki Toyoshima’s collaborative team, YNG, who are creating new drawings and other works that will be included in Asia Society Museum’s exhibition YOSHITOMO NARA: NOBODY’S FOOL. The studio is open to the public for viewing from August 23-27 (4:00pm–7:00pm). Born in 1959 in Japan, where he presently lives and works, Nara is internationally recognized for his work, which has inspired an enormous cult following among youth in Japan and throughout Asia.Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody’s Fool will emphasize the relationship between Nara’s art and rock and punk music which have been an ongoing source of inspiration and prevailing reference point in his work.The YNG team is known to repurpose their past works by modifying their sizes, recycling their materials, and/or incorporating additional found materials, objects, and often new works by Nara, which gives them a new life in new locations.

Park Avenue Armory is a newly launched organization whose mission is to revitalize one of America's historic treasures as a dynamic alternative arts space unlike any other in New York. Part palace, part industrial shed, the Armory is dedicated to the development and presentation of work in the performing and visual arts best realized in a non-traditional setting. It is located at 643 Park Avenue, between 66th and 67th Streets on the Upper Eastside of Manhattan.

AIPAD Photography Show at the Park Avenue Armory

This weekend, the AIPAD Photography Show New York was held at the Park Avenue Armory (67th Street and Park Avenue). It was presented by the Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD). More than 70 of the world's leading fine art photography galleries showcased a wide range of museum quality work by contemporary, modern and 19th century masters. This photography show is the longest running and foremost exhibition of fine art photography.