Absolut Guggenheim

Guggenheim’s “Play: A Biennial of Creative Video” Wows

Last night, Manhattan’s Guggenheim Museum was transformed into a futuristic new media awards show venue as the finalists of the first Play: A Biennial of Creative Video were announced to a crowd of Google, Intel, HP and Guggenheim employees (all event sponsors), as well as artists and new media types wowed by the large projections on the interior and exterior of the Fifth Avenue landmark.

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright could never have predicted that his building would serve as an ideal three-dimensional screen for a 21st-century online video extravaganza, but it was the ideal venue for the whirlwind of projections that provided the backdrop for a live-streamed event prepared by the online video giant, YouTube.

Infamous art vlogger James Kalm showed up earlier in the day and spotted the army of hipster prepping for the night’s festivities. His attempts at gaining access were thwarted (see the video below) but it also seems to suggest that Google was in control of most of the preparations for the event.

The Play biennial has attracted some controversy as bloggers including Tyler Green and Paddy Johnson have been critical of the event from the very get go. Green has been questioning whether the Guggenheim is engaging in “pay for play” with the corporate-sponsored event, and the Guggenheim won’t deny the claim. Johnson holds that the Guggenheim and their Play jury aren’t exactly ideal for judging the world of online video.

Tornado of Projections

The energy at last night’s event was frenetic and it was hard to focus on the show as it seemed geared more at the livestreaming online audience than those of us in physical attendance. I felt like wallpaper, much like the projections that whirled around on every flat surface, a visual effect probably orchestrated to make the evening feel more important to online viewers. From the floor, the scene was dominated by new media types huddled by the bar.

Looking up from the floor. (click to enlarge)

If it was difficult to watch the finalists’ videos in the space as the noise interfered, the whole experience was still pleasantly ambient, like a well-orchestrated online journey come to life. Still, it lacked the perceived intimacy. There were moments when I wasn’t sure what was going on and eventually I gave up trying to make sense of the visuals, voices, and performances that seemed to come out of nowhere. At various moments an emcee delivered corny jokes obviously targeted to a young online crowd, a dance group whirled around on stage, a classical ensemble played, and finalists were introduced.

The night ended with a featured performance by Ok Go, one of the first pop bands to go viral through YouTube (their world-famous treadmill video currently has over 52 million plays). The group climbed red ladders placed in the center of the atrium and performed wearing jackets covered with small lights.

The whole experience reminded me a little of the interstellar media personality Ruby Rhod (played by Chris Tucker) in the 1997 sci-fi classic, The Fifth Element. The character of Rhod was fast-paced, hectic, and wild, and he was constantly spewing out information at a machine gun pace. Surprisingly, he was also my favorite character in the movie. In the same way, the Play event had the same endearing — if at times, confusing — energy. I felt like I was treading water in an ocean of projections, an invigorating feeling. There was nothing to dislike, it was a visually exciting night filled with energy. Given the lack of clarity in identifying artists and works as well as the overwhelming media buzz of so much information at once, this was more event than exhibition.

Links:

• Live stream archive from last night’s festivities: youtube.com/play
• Top 25 videos/artist bios
• Complete info about “Art After Dark: YouTube Play” — guggenheim.org/artafterdark

http://hyperallergic.com/11332/guggenheim-play-biennial/