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MoMA PS1 Is Literally Going 'Back To School' On Friday Night

By

Jen Chung

Published Sep 22, 2016

Modified Sep 22, 2016

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Back to school

 

MoMA PS1

By

Jen Chung

Published Sep 22, 2016

Modified Sep 22, 2016

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Tomorrow night, MoMA PS1 is holding a special event that takes the Long Island City space, formerly a public school, back to its roots: Artist Ryan McNamara is staging Back To School, a performance art party which involves emptying all the galleries and transforming them back into classrooms.

The museum says that "30 artist projects featuring more than 65 performers assuming roles of typical high school characters" will be part of the show, which will benefit MoMA PS1’s Annual Exhibition Fund:

In keeping with the event theme, several artist projects will take the form of lessons or lectures, including a relationship workshop led by Morgan Bassichis, a lecture on performance by Claire Bishop, an art class with critiques by Jacolby Satterwhite, and a workshop with professional sex educators featuring products from Überlube. Other artists will offer one-on-one sessions, including songwriting lessons with musician Nelly Furtado and meetings with guidance counselor Jessica Mitrani...

Artist Ryan McNamara will present several projects, including “recess” with nine dancers performing a piece that riffs on playground games, an economics class that explains the 2008 crisis through participatory choreography, and other unexpected interventions inspired by locker rooms, school dances, and cafeteria lunches. McNamara has also organized a performance by drag cheerleaders, who will rehearse and perform songs by the USA Freedom Kids.

MoMA PS1 director Klaus Biesenbach said he wanted McNamara to "evoke school memories" so that "Every door you open will present a different experience—relive your school days!" Um, yay?

The NY Times visited McNamara at the museum and found out the principal’s office will be "just a door cracked open with loud spanking sounds coming from inside."

Tickets, which are $125 each, are still available, and there will be "an open bar and food inspired by nostalgic cafeteria snacks, including: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches courtesy of The Jam Stand, Bread Alone, and Justin's; Popchips; grilled cheese from the Melt Shop; corn dogs from the Brooklyn Hot Dog Company prepared by M. Wells Dinette; pizza from Speedy Romeo; frozen custard from Shake Shack; cupcakes from Pink Canary Desserts; and a teacher’s lounge with a pour-over coffee bar by Café Grumpy and doughnuts from Pies n' Thighs."

The dress code is "come as you were" in high school.

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back to school

moma ps1

ryan mcnamara

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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