GAYLETTER

Last Tuesday I visited NEW SIGHTS, NEW NOISE, a fascinating project generated by Michael Stipe in collaboration with NYU students, faculty, and guest artists. 80WSE‘s gallery has been transformed into a constantly changing laboratory where Stipe keeps a studio in part of the galleries for the duration of his residency, and the rest of the space teems with images projected on the walls and floor. Based on the concept of aggregation, the images when I visited had been curated by Stipe and spanned a fantastic range from historical to abstract. Corbis stock photos of President Nixon and his alleged gay lover reverberated against idyllic seaside photos and grid based models of human bodies. You can peek into Stipe’s studio through gaps in the wood walls that separate it from the rest of the space, and will be treated to a view into the backstage of artistic production. An issue of the New York Times encased in plexiglass mingles with a carton of water, a pair of German army trainers, and a bronze cassette replica.

 
You can visit the gallery Tuesday – Saturday from 10:30AM – 6:00PM, but you may want to schedule your visit to coincide with a special happening that will occur this weekend. On Saturday, October 11th, the projections will be curated by NYU undergraduate David Muñoz with help by fellow classmates Christina Blue, Jongyoon Choi, Ira Dae Young Kim, Daniel Mock and Serina Wei; and from 4:00PM – 6:00PM will be accompanied by music from Taul Paul and Cazwell. I’ve been assured that the afternoon happening is not be missed, and that a special surprise is in store!