P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center Opens "Afterparty" Outdoor Installation

The winning project of the Young Architects Program opens in the center's courtyard, and will house the institution's summer Warm Up series.

Sheila Kim -- Interior Design, 6/29/2009

"Afterparty" by MOS; photography: Sheila Kim

June may have been the month of rain in New York, but the clouds parted on June 28 for Long Island City's P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center to properly celebrate the opening of its "Afterparty" outdoor pavilion. This winning design of P.S.1 and the Museum of Modern Art's Young Architects Program was created by the architectural firm MOS, and is conceived as an urban shelter. The fuzzy thatched structures shade visitors, as well as attempt to cool via its tall chimneys. The installation will play backdrop to the center’s popular summer Warm Up concert series.

"Afterparty" by MOS; photography: Sheila Kim

"Afterparty" by MOS; photography: Sheila Kim

Opening day for "Afterparty" also marked the start of three exhibitions at P.S.1: "Michael Joaquin Grey," featuring a sculpture, computational video, and prints; "Carlos Motta," a site-specific wall mural in the center’s reception zone; and "YAP 10th Anniversary Review."

"Michael Joaquin Grey;" photography: Sheila Kim

"Carlos Motta;" photography: Sheila Kim

The latter looks back at the Young Architects Program, in which mostly up and coming architects were challenged to create an outdoor installation and oasis that would provide shade and seating for a three- to five-month exhibition cycle. Selected by a jury composed of P.S.1 and MoMA curators and staffers, the winners have included Xefirotarch, SHoP, and Gelatin, among others; renowned participants have included Lindy Roy and Philip Johnson.

"YAP 10th Anniversary Review;" photography: Sheila Kim

"YAP" highlights all the previous winning designs, as well as some of the finalists' proposals, in a timeline, offering a glimpse into architectural experimentation over the last decade. All three summer shows run through September 14, 2009. Warm Up parties, taking place every Saturday from 2pm to 9pm, will run from July 4 to September 5.