ArtsBeat

Phase II of the spectacular yet confounding art installation/project/statement/collective Monsters of Nature and Design took place Friday on the Albright-Knox Art Gallery's back steps. This, to refresh your memory, was the event during which a cadre of apparently maniacal University at Buffalo professors were to hoist one piano precariously above another and release it in an effort to simulate, criticize or somehow obliquely reference ritualized violence in Africa. Alrighy then.

I wasn't there, so I can't tell you how well the Monsters accomplished that. But our intrepid videographer Joe Popiolkowski, who was, reports that technical glitches resulted in the hoisted piano nearly missing its earthbound target, resulting in a less-than-satisfying  crash.

Also see this blog entry from Canadian writer Jeffrey Round, who was also apparently less than enthused.

Just for fun, check out this YouTube video of the Monsters' first public project involving the destruction of pianos (particularly notable for the ongoing and hilarious comment section):

And here's how it turned out Sept. 5:

--Colin Dabkowski