The Armory Show is underway over the Hudson River at Piers 92 and 94, and because we’re on day two of the annual art orgy, there’s probably already been a small nation’s GDP-amount of money spent on contemporary and modern works from all over the world. Art critic Jerry Saltz was in the house, natch.
On Wednesday, I spent a few hours wandering around Pier 94, the contemporary wing of the spectacle. While there didn’t seem to be as much flat-out weirdo stuff as in years’ past, there certainly were plenty of things to look at, including both artwork and people. Because if you’ve ever wanted to observe the customs and costumes of the stinking rich in their element, the Armory Show is the place to be.
Not that everyone here’s a buyer; there are lots of artists and their groupies roaming the aisles as well. Take, for example, cyborg artists Neil Harbisson and his partner Moon Ribas. Harbisson can see sounds and hear visuals thanks to the cybernetic antennae he drilled into his skull–he calls it becoming “sonochronmatic.” Ribas told me she feels all of the planet’s earthquakes in real time as a trembling in her left arm.
Though the masses may flock to the Armory Show, the weirdness doesn’t stop there. There are ten or so art fairs happening this weekend as well, including one where you can buy a paintings that use shredded money.
The Armory Show, Piers 92 and 94, 12PM to 7:00PM daily
(Photos: Scott Lynch)
