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Our friend Lily Dong recently checked out Zaha Hadid’s Contemporary Art Container for Chanel at Central Park. Here’s what she had to say:

2008.11.22 would’ve been just another lovely brunch sunday for me but a friend and i decided to brave the cold at 8am to wait in the standby line for nearly 2 long nippy hours at central park.  the rumsey playfield, located at 70th street and 5th avenue is currently staging a product of the crossover of architecture and fashion, entitled mobile art.  it showcases how the futuristic fluid architecture of zaha hadid and the uber wealthy chanel label collaborate to house 20 original art installations – all inspired by the 2.55 quilted bag in some degree…umm…right. the whole experience is very specific and surreal.  once you go in, you’re given a set of headphones and the narrator, actress jeanne moreau, of this so-called soundwalk concept, conceived by stephan crasneanscki, dictates the next 30 minutes of your life, telling you where to go and when to go.  even though the circulation is composed of fluid lines as a result of the architecture, i could not help but feel confronted of being restricted in a series of open spaces.  however, each space is very unique and interesting, makes me feel as if i’m in a different world where time suspends in space.

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the art is very intensely visual, relying heavily on lighting, color and the notion of texture.  my favorite is the Argentinian artist leandro erlich’s “le trottoir” 2006-07 video installation.  a city’s facade is projected on a wall and all of its nuances of daytime and of nighttime are reflected on this pool of water in front of it.  i especially feel this particular powerful work really relates to the subtle, understatement of the fashion house, known for its simple and yet sophisticated LBDs. a question came to my mind when i read about the chanel house finding this  need to redefine “modern” functionality in metropolises such as hong kong, tokyo and new york with its renown 2.55 handbag, the star of this show.  nodoubt chanel’s intention of making this bag versatile for both day and night and merging luxury with functionality is a move towards the modern direction, it is way too small for a woman to carry the day’s necessities.  big bags are popular in the city for a reason.   it holds everything for a woman who’s constantly on the go, kinda like a minisuitcase. just look at the streets of nyc and its women with their oversize handbags.

alright, going back to architecture, no matter how much zaha and karl lagerfield insist that it provides a cohesiveness to the landscape, just the material of choice for this architectural piece is out of context.  its futuristic appearance makes it look like a spaceship that has landed in the middle of the rumsey playfield. the concept of a mobile structure tests its validity in the context of the cities it visits.  hong kong is a very different city from tokyo as tokyo is a very different city from new york therefore, it’s a challenge to create a piece of architecture that can transform itself to become a part of the landscape.  so i would dare say maybe it’s more about the contrast that makes this such a phenomenally new experience for the cities it visits and provokes this cross pollination of cultures.

if you have not yet checked out this amazing experience, what are you waiting for?  go!  the nyc life of the mobile art is slated for the duration of october 20th thru novmber 9th.  where to catch the mobile art next?  future destinations to be continued: london, moscow and ending where else but the fashion capital of the world – paris (2010)

by Lily Dong

More on Zaha Hadid’s work here.