Magical ‘FIGMENT NYC’ coming to Governors Island this weekend

Art transforms historic island and then disappears for another year

June 22, 2018 By Mary Frost Brooklyn Daily Eagle

FIGMENT NYC 2018, a free interactive art event, is taking place on Governors Island this Saturday and Sunday. Shown: People dressed as trees walk through a past FIGMENT NYC on Governors Island. AP file photo/Jason DeCrow

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A musician “playing” a pair of old shoes and a steering wheel; a troop of hula hoop dancers taking flight. Senses getting mixed up at a Sensorium (where people taste their own thoughts); strangers playing games together on a group of telephones. And everywhere, thousands of visitors enjoying performances and creating all manner of art.

Welcome to FIGMENT NYC 2018, taking place on Governors Island this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

For one weekend each summer, FIGMENT transforms the historic 172-acre island into a magical land filled with collaborative artwork and music.

In years past, dreams were built in boxes, medieval combat games (using padded weapons) were fought in a dappled glade, gnomes were put up for adoption and children skipped about in newly painted socks. (FIGMENT is very kid-friendly.)

The annual event, which began in 2007, doesn’t accept corporate sponsorships and everything is free, meaning the vibe is happy and relaxed.

Ferries leave from Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park and from lower Manhattan at the Battery Maritime Building located adjacent to the Staten Island Ferry. On Saturdays and Sundays, visitors taking Governors Island ferries before noon from Manhattan or Brooklyn ride free; otherwise fare is $2. Children under 12 ride for free. Bring sunscreen, water and snacks.

Sample Art Projects

Here are just a few of the many artists and projects you may run across on the island this weekend. Feel free to bring your own art:

Radio Wonderland: Joshua Fried performs live sound processing by drumming on old shoes and manipulating a steering wheel. The work turns live commercial FM radio into recombinant funk.

The Azerbaijan A/V Club: An immersive multimedia spectacle built with silent movies, free jazz, and ambient electronica.

Celia Kutcher’s Hoopapalooza: “The hoopers are coming back!” Performances Saturday afternoon.

Little Brooklyn’s Burlesque-O-Matic Theater: Live performance digital striptease for intimate private audiences. Yep.

Guerilla Science Sensorium: Hear the sounds inside your head, taste your thoughts, and tangle up your tongue to explore the senses. Exhibit includes 20 small performances distributed across 10 rooms and the lawn..

Van Alen Institute’s FLOW! An Urban Mobility Variety Show: Performers interpret the notion of “getting around the changing city” through interactive dance, music and performance events.

The Color Cacophony Collective: Create “a space filled with color, light, sound and joy,” where participants make art through musical and physical improvisations using color-coded fabrics and sustainable instruments.

TELETRON8000: Play games on a big group of phones.

Tiny Box Theater: View, listen and interact with stories that unfold inside of repurposed boxes.

Wandering Wizard: Seek him and you might find him.

For the full list of projects and more details, visit http://newyork.figmentproject.org/artist_and_projects .