Visiting Cloud City

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In such a vertically inclined city, there seems no more apt sanctuary from the molten asphalt, hot garbage stench and slow-walking tourists of New York City than the plateaus overhead. From the beer drunk BBQs of Bushwick, to the decadent blue waters of SoHo House's pool in the Meatpacking District, NYC is a rooftop town after Memorial Day.

From now through November 4, the roof garden at The Metropolitain Museum of Art will be home to an art/science/architecture installation called Cloud City, by Argentinian artist Tomas Saraceno. It looks like a gigantic granola cluster made out of plexiglass and polished steel, and it’s awesome.

The entire thing is 28 feet tall, with 16 interconnected pod-like rooms that you can enter and explore. Roberta Smith of the New York Times calls the interactive exhibit “fun house formalism.”

Saraceno is sometimes called an “environmental artist,” but the structure is anything but organic. Honestly, it looks like a huge robot turd. A robot turd where you’ll find unequaled views of Manhattan and Central Park. The experience is disorienting, dizzying and goofy-making—much like some of the better late night parties you’ll likely find on those rooftops in Bushwick. Go see it for yourself.

Tomás Saraceno on the Roof: Cloud City

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

May 15, 2012–Through November 4, 2012 (weather permitting)

Images courtesy of Tomas Saraceno

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