Its the final weekend of Spectacle: The Music Videos run in New York City, but if you havent made it out yet, there is still plenty of time and cool stuff for you to check out before it closes on Sunday, June 16th. Spectacle is a museum exhibit dedicated to music videos, curated by Meg and Jonathan Wells of Flux, and while there are a variety of film festivals and screenings where you can see music videos, what Spectacle offers is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
Spectacle has basically taken over the entire space of Museum of The Moving Image in Astoria, New York with artifacts and props from music videos, informational and interactive displays, and even a real live MTA VMA. You can learn about the origins of music videos, view videos that have been banned at some point in the "Agent Provocateur" room, and check out the original drawings from "Take on Me" by A-ha. The installations set up some unique ways to watch videos as well - If you thought watching a music video in a theater is cool, wait until you watch one in an arcade game, through a peep hole, or in real 3D. There are also several places for you to sit back and enjoy some of the best music videos ever made projected onto large walls and screens.
Artifacts from Steriogram's "Walkie Talkie Man," directed by Michel Gondry
After this weekend, the exhibit moves on to Australia, but they have a lot planned for their final weekend in New York. Tomorrow night at 7pm, they are featuring An Evening with Woodkid aka Yoann Lemoine, director of such videos as Lana Del Reys "Born to Die" and Katy Perrys "Teenage Dream. For families, the museum will also present sessions of the Animated Music Video workshop on Saturday and Sunday, where kids will have the opportunity to create their own music video using some of the same materials and techniques featured in Spectacle.
If youre in New York and are reading this blog post, it means you care enough about music videos that Spectacle is truly a cant miss, so get all your famers market visits in early, you guys, and then head over to Queens and validate your obsession with music videos through enjoying them in the fanciest way possible. For more information, see the Museum of the Moving Image website.
For a closer look at some of the installations, here's a post with some Vines that we took during the opening in early April.
