I recently found out that one of my good friends-turned-family had a nickname for me.
Tourist Tiff.
She dropped it in a conversation and I laughed so hard, because I loved it.
“Well, you are Tourist Tiff,” said Ayla. “That’s what I call you when I mention you to my friends, because you are always the first to want to go to any new exhibition or gallery opening in the city.”
True, I’d probably go to the opening of an envelope if it was celebrated, but I liked the sound of Tourist Tiff. So much so, I’ve started using the hashtag #TouristTiff on Instagram.
I digress in my introduction to this post, but it is not without relevance.
About a month ago, Tourist Tiff (great, now I’m speaking about myself in third person) visited British artist Martin Creed’s largest installation in the U.S. to date. Commissioned by Park Avenue Armory and curated by Tom Eccles and Hans-Ulrich Obrist, Creed’s installation comprises of opening and closing curtains, a slamming white grand piano, and numerous ginormous balloons within a beautiful space – the latter, being my favorite.
Creed’s Work No. 2947 Half The Air In A Given Space brings out the child in one – or so, it certainly did for me. The installation certainly made me feel like a child again, and I enjoyed myself so much that I stood back in line to do it again. If you need a pick-me-up, I’d really suggest visiting the installation – I don’t think I had felt as happy and free as I did that afternoon, in a wee while.
Creed’s Back Door installation at Herzog and de Meuron’s Park Avenue Armory continues until August 7th, so I would definitely recommend checking it out. The Armory itself is a beautiful space, located on the upper east side, with beautiful interior. I would even suggest it as a wedding venue.
Tip: Tickets are $15, but if you have a NYC ID card, entrance for yourself and a guest is free – a pleasant surprise!
Pro-tip: If you live in New York, you should get a NYC ID card as it permits you free entry and memberships to various museums within the five boroughs of New York.
Pro-Pro-tip: Carry a hairbrush with you. You may need to brush your hair after losing a static war against the balloons. Balloons: 1. Hair: 0.
