[New York Peasant by Wilfrid: February 15, 2010]
The obvious place to seek solace on 52nd Street, if you ask me, is at the long, curved bar of the 21 Club. And indeed alcohol is one of the main themes of a show called "Solace" at the Austrian Cultural Forum just the other side of Fifth Avenue.
A severe, multi-level exhibition space, the Forum has devoted several of its narrow floors (separated by treacherous stairs) to this joint show by primarily Austrian and New York artists. Solace comes in various guises, although it's hard not to notice, first of all, the sexual variety - a colorful video of models romping in bikinis and less visible from several spots on the stairwell. I think this is a music video by the arist Koudlam, but the plan of the show could be clearer. In any case, it's flanked by another video installation featuring furtive footage of masturbation and bare feet; I attribute this with more confidence to Sands Murray-Wassink, and intentionally or not the two videos can hardly avoid commenting on each other.
Back to the booze, and I was entranced a large photo of the interior of an Austrian Heuriger - or Weinstube as the Germans say - an old fashioned tavern. There is some nonsense in the curatorial notes about this being a melancholic place, but it looked entirely tranquil and inviting to me. Mind you, I like the 21 Club.
The bar theme continues with a charmingly titled installation by Tom Marioni - "The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art." He clearly hasn't met many of my friends. Still, it's cheering to find a working bar re-created in a gallery. Reading the notes later, I think I was supposed to reach into the fridge, grab a beer and put my feet up. And I had thought it was just there to be looked at.
Comedy, balloons (unintentionally flaccid) and classical music also feature in the show - and I suppose it is a sign of the times that tobacco does not (I'm not user myself). The Forum advertises a long list of events reflecting the solace theme. I am intrigued by the city walks, led by artists featured in the show, which will guide participants to places where the artists themselves find solace. Judging by the works, I think a couple of these guys might head for Billy's Stopless.*
The webpage for the show is here, and it runs through May 15. I may go back and take a look in that refrigerator.
*I know it's closed, but it still makes a better punchline than Scores.
