Looking back at videos of New York performance art and dance in the 1980’s, it’s sometimes hard to tell which of the handful of spaces the piece was performed but PS122’s upstairs theater always stands out as soon as you see the 2 Corinthian columns in the middle of the stage. When PS122 was a school, the room served as a cafeteria and it was probably more suited to children carrying lunch trays than dancers spinning on each others’ backs but throughout the years choreographers and set designers have happily (or begrudgingly) incorporated the iconic columns into their performances.
When we move back into the building our spaces will be on the 4th floor, and for better or worse (most likely better) free of columns. But the columns themselves were much loved by the staff and artists of PS122. They’ve been painted every color imaginable, covered with lights, fabric, fake plants, slime, and even blood. During the final Avant-Garde-Arama in the space artists and staff signed the columns. The photos below are an attempt do document the love letters written to these columns – we’ll miss you!
