T. J. Wilcox: In the Air at the Whitney

In the Air, A Panoramic Film Installation by T. J. Wilcox. 24hr day in NYC in 30 minutes. Whitney MuseumIn the Air, A Panoramic Film Installation by T. J. Wilcox. 24hr day in NYC in 30 minutes. Whitney MuseumIn the Air, A Panoramic Film Installation by T. J. Wilcox. 24hr day in NYC in 30 minutes. Whitney MuseumClick to enlarge

Currently, the second floor of the Whitney Museum is largely taken up by New York-based artist T. J. Wilcox‘s dramatic 360˚ panoramic film installation titled “In the Air”. The giant circular screen measuring roughly 7 feet high and 35 feet in diameter projects the span of a day in the city, from dawn to dusk, sped up to run in a 30-minute cycle. Inspired by the views from the roof of the building where he has his studio in Union Square, Wilcox filmed, or actually shot 60,000 stills, shot at the rate of one per second, and seamlessly patched together. Superimposed on this vista are six short films that loop, each with a NYC connection. From a documentary/portrait of the Empire State Building to Warhol inflating his silver helium balloons on the roof of his Factory, to Wilcox’s super recounting his personal witnessing of September 11 from that very roof.

I’m looking forward to seeing this exhibit soon—with my newly gifted membership—but, more interestingly, here is Wilcox speaking a bit on the work:

“In the Air” will be up at the Whitney through February 9, 2014.

Top photo by Fred R. Conrad for the NY Times; second photo courtesy of the Whitney; bottom three photos by Clare Henry.

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