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I would like to introduce you all
to the Black Acid Co-Op.
The Black Acid Co-Op is the newest installation from Justin Lowe and Jonah Freeman, the men who brought you "Hello Meth Lab in the Sun" a few years back. It is currently installed at 18 Wooster Street in SoHo and it has got to be one of the more amazing installation pieces I have ever experienced.
The Black Acid Co-Op is a labyrinthine series of rooms constructed inside Deitch Projects's warehouse space on Wooster. From the moment you enter, you are completely absorbed by the surreal, completely enveloping atmosphere the immaculately constructed space creates. In my case, the outside world essentially ceased to exist.
The highlight (and by far creepiest part) of the installation are the two, true-to-life home Meth labs constructed in trailers set seamlessly into the space. When I entered the first Meth lab, I was immediately struck by a visceral reaction to the clutter, mess, and general disarray of the space. I was also blown away by the fact that, despite being completely out of place in my life and completely foreign to me (thankfully?) it was entirely believable. Every detail from the carpeting on the floor to the box of Sudafed on the kitchen counter is believable, and horrifying. It even smelled like I was standing in someone's house.
What's possibly more intense was the second Meth lab, which had very obviously exploded:
Rooms full of tangled masses of melted plastic, charred walls... it was incredible.
But The Black Acid Co-Op is not just drug production. There was a room like a Chinatown gift shop (complete with airbrushed, r-rated t-shirts) in the basement, a strange wooden construction filled with jars on the second floor (see the first picture in this post), a small, decrepit library of sorts, and this:
among other things.
The only thing I can compare it to is the Cremaster Cycle, which came through the Guggenheim back in 2003. The Black Acid Co-Op is similarly disturbing even while it sucks you in. You can't shake the feeling that you've walked into some version of hell, even while you can't wait to get to the next room.
And. IT'S FREE. You have to sign a waiver (promising that you won't sue them if you fall down some stairs and promising that it's your fault if you break something) but other than that it won't hurt your wallet. SO GO SEE IT.
The Black Acid Co-Op is only up until August 15th, so get there soon!
18 Wooster Street, Manhattan
Here are some relevant links, for your perusal:
Background Info
Deitch Projects Page
NY Times Review
Vogue Review
August 6 2009, 21:25:22 UTC 2 years ago
August 6 2009, 22:48:32 UTC 2 years ago
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