The Post-Olympic City Art Exhibit by Gary Hustwit and Jon Pack

This Art Exhibit in NYC looks at Post-Olympic cities around the world.

The Olympics are, obviously, totally front-of-mind right this second, both because of all of glory, etc., going on in London and, more hypothetically, because of our frequent imaginings of what might have been, had New York City been awarded these games. Would it have been good for the city? Would it have been fun for us personally? And how would it have transformed our home, both this summer and in the years to come? Enter Gary Hustwit, Jon Pack, and the excellent Storefront for Art and Architecture, with their nicely-timed, provocative exhibition, The Post-Olympic City. 

Jon Pack & Gary Hustwit explore cities Post-Olympic Glory.

The Post-Olympic City Art Exhibit in NYC Looks at Stadiums of Yore

The premise of The Post-Olympic City, which functions as a sort of sneak preview for a larger, book-based project of Gary Hustwit and Jon Pack's, is simple: after the games are over, and the throngs of tourists, athletes, and media have all turned their attention (and dollars) to other things, what happens to all the stuff that cities have spent such an enormous amount of time, money, and real estate constructing for the two weeks or so Olympic activities? Years or even decades later, what was the impact of all that development on the urban landscape of the host city, and the lives of its citizens? 

Jon Pack & Gary Hustwit's The Post-Olympic City, Barcelona.

Gary Hustwit & Jon Pack Team Up for a Captivating Post-Olympic Exhibit

Jon Pack, a photographer, has spent a few years taking shots of post-Olympic venues. Gary Hustwit is one of our favorite documentary filmmakers, and his so-called Design Trilogy–Helvitica, Objectified, and Urbanized–are total musts. Together they make a smart, energetic, perceptive duo who are not simply interested in "luge-ruin porn" (though there is some of that here), but who are just as intrigued by cities and communities who have repurposed their Olympic venues. In Los Angeles, for example, the Grand Olympic Auditorium, built for the '32 Games and at the time the largest enclosed stadium in the United States, is today the Glory Church of Jesus Christ. In Mexico City, Arena Mexico ('68 Games) now hosts Lucha Libre. And one of Lake Placid's '08 facilities is now a prison!            

The Post-Olympic City at Storefront for Art and Architecture.

Storefront for Art and Architecture Exhibit-Opening Recap

Anyway, we went to the opening Jon Pack and Gar Hustwit's Post-Olympic City at the Storefront for Art and Architecture in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of Nolita on Tuesday evening, and loved it all. The Post-Olympic City is only running through Saturday, August 18th, so if you can't make it down there in the next week or so–which we highly recommend… especially, perhaps, for the "After-Match" conversation next Tuesday the 14th, from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m.–be on the lookout for the book, tentatively titled Olympic City. And if you've never been to the Storefront for Art and Architecture, by all means get on their emailing list: it's a great space which hosts lots of interesting events and exhibitions throughout the year. AND you should rent/stream Gary Hustwit's documentaries as soon as possible. They are terrific. 

The Post-Olympic City by Gary Hustwit & Jon Pack.

The Post-Olympic City by Gary Hustwit and Jon Pack, at the Storefront for Art and Architecture

Gary Hustwit and Jon Pack's Post-Olympic City exhibition will be at the Storefront for Art and Architecture until Saturday, August 18. The Storefront for Art and Architecture is located on Kenmare Street between Cleveland and Mulberry Streets, and is open on Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. For more information on the Post-Olympic City and the Storefront for Art and Architecture, please see their website, here

 

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