Circumanhattanation
This multi-media installation project was inspired by the process of circumambulating the island of Manhattan on foot in just one day. On May 8, 1999, James Banta, Evan Kopelson, Marshall Mintz, and Jay Platt met at Castle Clinton in Battery Park and started walking counterclockwise from the south end of Manhattan, following the East River northward, staying as close as possible to the perimeter of the island.
After 17 hours, the group came full circle to the southern tip of Manhattan and completed their trek of approximately 30 miles. During the “Circumanhattanation,” the participants used slides, digital photographs, Super 8 film, and maps to document the groupís route and experiences.
Manhattan is home and workplace to millions. Yet, there are many pockets of its urban geography that are seen by few of its denizens and visited by even fewer on foot. The Circumanhattanation exhibit seeks to explore how a peripheral journey can reveal a New York unfamiliar to most pedestrians.
The paintings, slides, photographs, and film exhibited at Local Project in March 2004 capture alternate perspectives on our immediate surroundings without the points of reference, such as street grids, people, and density of buildings, that are indispensable components of the average New Yorker’s daily experience.
Exhibition Details
Location: Local Project, Long Island City, New York
Artists: James Banta, Evan Kopelson, Jay Platt
Exhibit Coordinator: Andaleeb Banta