Two people sit together on a swing, laughing as they glide through the air. The background is a blur of motion, suggesting a fast-paced indoor environment.

Ann Hamilton encourages swinging in New York, with spectacular results

Words: Ross Bryant
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Date: 12 December 2012; Work
Art

There’s nothing I like better than a good old swing session, and now there’s a perfect excuse to slap on a smile and shoot through the air in innocent ecstasy! This kind of wild excitement derived from such a simple pleasure is something often lost on adults as they grow up to experience the more ‘serious’ pleasures dirty minds may have thought I was alluding to, but Ann Hamilton’s The Event of a Thread installation, currently on display in New York poses a serious question; who says swings are just for kids?

The large-scale interactive installation invites the audience to revel in the innocence and excitement we all shared as children. But Ann hasn’t just created a swingtastic feel-good installation, she’s also introduced a level of depth by installing a huge curtain which reacts according to the motion of the swings, emphasising connectivity to each other and the impact our actions have on others.

The Event of a Thread is currently on display at Park Avenue Armory in New York.