Location: Park Avenue Armory, New York
Date: Current- August 7th, 2016
Give me 30 seconds:
- If you can go on a weekday, do that. WAY less crowded and no lines. Exhibit opens at 2pm.
- On Thursday and Friday evenings, the Armory is open until 10pm and they serve alcohol which is a great idea for a date night or fun activity before going out!
- Exhibit closes on Sunday, August 7th.
- Only 10 people allowed in the balloon room at a time so expect lines if you go at peak times.
- While the balloon room and slamming piano are "child appropriate", there are some video installations that are sexually explicit and very graphic.
- The piano "slams" about once every hour. Ask a staff member for the scheduled times.
- Ticket prices are $15/ person. Free if you are a member of the Park Avenue Armory.
Half the air in a given room by Martin Creed
We're living in a time of nostalgia, everything from adult summer camps to Pokemon Go, everything these days seem to remind us of the joys of days now gone. Get ready to play like a child again in the balloon room at the newest exhibition by Martin Creed. The Back Door, has a variety of thought provoking installations throughout the Park Avenue Armory, all on display until August 7th. I'm no art critic by any means, but I do love a unique experience and nowhere else will you find a room full of 1,000 giant white balloons in which you can frolic around inside like a child in a ball pit and get a good snapchat while you're at it. No joke, you can walk in having a terrible day and leave in a completely different mood.
Grab a libation and enter Half the air in a given room, a strange bubbly world of being torn between slight claustrophobia and curious excitement as you "swim" your way throughout the room. Someone's job is to actually ensure that balloons don't leave float out of the room and as you can imagine, its a tough job given the size of the doors. Few rules: Only 10 people at a time. Don't pop the balloons or throw them on the chandelier. Don't kiss the balloons (Gross, I don't know who does that to public items) and don't intentionally pop them.
This is not a first for Creed and his balloon installations, only 7 months ago in Chinatown there was a red balloon room, work No. 2592.
Photo via Gothamist
So listen up, if you do one thing this weekend or this upcoming week, check out the entire Martin Creed exhibit and spend extra time in the balloon room. Kick your stresses up and let them float away like the balloons. I'm telling you, you will leave feeling like a kid again.
As always, GO JETSETAWAY!