January 27, 2005
It's Free To Go To Central Park, Even With The Gates
It's been pointed out (thanks, Joe) that some people have been scamming people (tourists, New York natives) into buying tickets to see Christo and Jeanne-Claude's The Gates. The Gates is a free exhibit, as their website clearly spells out. However, this doesn't mean various other cottage industries haven't popped up to take advantage of this event. Newsday looked at how the city and businesses are hoping to profit. The city, which isn't paying for the project (it's funded by Christo and Jeanne-Claude's sale of drawings; they just need the city's sign-off), is projecting $80 million of business to be generated and $2 million in tax revenue. Plus:
The Central Park Conservancy is selling Gates souvenirs, including an $100 watch, signed posters for $450, and socks, sweatshirts and lanyards. A map detailing the gates locations, costs $5. Income from the sales will go to benefit nature and the arts in the city. NYC & Co. president Cristyne Nicholas said 50,000 room nights have been booked and Germans are coming in large numbers. Art is a huge draw, especially among international visitors, who spend more, she said.Yes, it's true: The Germans are coming, goldeny-orange is the new black, and for $1,050/night at the Mandarin-Oriental, you get "Binoculars in the room to view the Gates during your stay, Mandarin Oriental signature White Hot Chocolate & assorted goodies upon arrival, American Breakfast in Asiate for two daily, Book from the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the Gates Exhibition in Central Park." Gothamist wonders if the guests get to keep the binoculars. Anyway, we love the idea of the Gray Line bus running through the park, especially if the weather is bad, but we'll be hitting the Met and then trying walking around.The Mandarin Oriental hotel is offering a $1,050 package for one night which includes binoculars in rooms with park views and a Gates book. The restaurant Bolo is adding two saffron dishes to its Spanish menu. Gray Line will run trolleys through the park; the Metropolitan Museum will open its roof garden for a bird's eye view.
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Um, actually the idea of a diesel-spewing bus chugging through Central Park is a terrible idea.
Please tell me this is a story you lifted from "The Onion."
as soon as those things go up they will be torn to shreds by the hundreds of thousands of punk-ass new york teenagers. its gonna be awesome.
Well actually the sheets are supposed to be rather strong. And yes, they will also be fireproof.
But PLEASE don't stop thinking about other ways that they could be destroyed.
theres always good old fashioned spraypaint, markers and stickers. but i bet if you climbed up one side, stabbed it really hard with a knife then put both hands on the handle and swung out, you could cut a big gash into it.
i think i read that there was going to be security. not sure if there are going to be cops acting as security though. and the cost was to be picked up by the project.
can someone explain to me again why we are doing this outdoor thing in February? why not May or something? Maybe they are betting against graffiti artists coming out in cold weather.
Our city officials have declared February as “Art for German Tourist$” month.
Can't we put up the Microsoft logo on the flag's and call this project the "Bill Gates"? HAR HAR HAR!!!!
I crack me up...man that's a good joke!
Jenny, the reason for it being in winter is that the leaves will be off the trees and the gates won't be obscured (you might also say that the gates become like trees in a way). Originally it was planned for late fall, but Christo and Jeanne-Claude found that the leaves don't all fall off at a consistent time of year in New York. February--pretty sure bet the trees will be bare. I think also the warmth of the saffron color will be pretty amazing against the winter.
I'm pretty hopeful that there won't be a lot of graffiti. Isn't this the kind of art project that street artists would respect and not tag?
Sam, do I read this correctly? Christo wasn't sure when the NYC trees would be devoid of leaves? Now in his web site, Christo is described as an "environmental" (as opposed to conceptional) artist, but yet he didn't know when the Central Park trees would be bare? Plus, Christo--the "environmental artist"--is a New York City resident to boot. [Hangs head in disillusionment] Please say it ain't so!!
Hmmmm, Snow...Gates...A semi decent slope...
Do you suppose someone would be arrested for using the gates as a Ski Racing course??
I can picture it now, Left, Right, Left...
They can sell tickets at the first Gate to raise money. Fastest time down gets a prize!
February was chosen by the city and Conservancy, not the artists. I think they originally envisioned it in the fall. The city and Conservancy felt February was a slow time of year and so the project would have less impact on residents (and they probably thought it was a good time to boost tourist dollars).
Putting a knife in and trying to ride it down might work, or you might fall on your ass. The fabric is very tough and strong. Three adults can easily hang from one, even climb up it. They tried to make the gates fairly resilient. After all, they are New Yorkers.
I think it's kind of sad that NYC is getting this amazing project that the artists have spent years upon years working towards, and much of the comments here are about the potential for destroying the work.
As someone said, they are New Yorkers, and that's part of the reasoning behind creating this amazing public work, funding it totally on their own money, and giving something to the city. Seems rather sad that new yorker's aren't more appreciative.
Karen, I was just reading from the book accompanying the project (page 186). They observed the park over time and found that the leaves fall over a range of months (!)--strange but apparently true. Being environment artists, though, they were pretty sure the leaves would fall...eventually. I'd bet Nathan's also right that the city had some good reasons for February.
What is up with you people? I thought I was going to read about others who thought this was an exhilirating idea, especially these days when corporations seems to own and produce everything. Here is something that is just fabric and wind and colors and the smiles it can produce...in a month that is freezing cold and depressing. At a time when our government is cutting education so we can tear apart Iraq and let Halliburton make zillions building it back up. Take joy where you can find it!!
There is no doubt the Germans are excited. Working for a German chemical company many colleagues are all pumped up; some of whom rarely set foot in a museum display the excitedness as well. When I tell them I simply can't get excited about a toilet paper exhibit in the February cold, they shake their heads. But for sure that Christo covered the Reichstag building in Berlin some time ago (with toilet paper as well) they have real affinity for this stuff.