The Met’s Annual Roof Garden Commission is Here!
After last summer's bloodbath and two seasons of amusement park rides before that, the Met's annual Roof Garden Commission this year is… relaxing, soft and comfortable. And green. Created by Dan Graham, who's been doing installations such as this for some 50 years, and with help from landscape artist Gunther Vogt. Together creating: "Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout," but you can just call it "The Pavilion." This brings an exceptionally lounge-y feel to what is already one of Manhattan's most pleasant perches. It's a park above the park, complete with (fake) lawn, snacks and drinks, and funhouse mirror. Expect to see many first-dates here!
The Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout Experience
Dan Graham's Met Roof Garden pavilion is not a flashy piece by any means: there are two walls covered in ivy, and a central patio broken in half by a curving "two-way mirror" that's really more just like a regular glass window, though the reflection of the skyline across the park is kind of cool. There's nothing really to "do", or interact with, and photo-ops are limited, which seemed to confuse some visitors who expected to at least get a few good Instagrams out of the occasion. It's not dull, really; it's more like, if you came across Hedge Two-Way Mirror Walkabout in some other, non-museum setting, you wouldn't necessarily even think it was art.
A Place to Hang Out and Relax in NYC
But if the pavilion lacks any real visual punch, the sight (and feel!) of the entire roof deck covered in a thick layer of "grass" makes up for it with sheer sensual delight. After everyone realizes that there won't be any climbing, they tend to plop down on the lawn and stay awhile. Sometimes with a beer or two from the on-site bar. Especially this time of year, before the heat of high summer kicks in, and later, in the fall, this promises to be a popular place to while away an afternoon or Friday/Saturday evening.
Dan Graham's pavilion will be at the Met's Roof Garden through November 2, and is open during regular museum hours, weather permitting.
Posted in NYC Events | Tagged dan graham • met museum rooftop 2014 • met roof garden exhibit • Metropolitan museum nyc
