Animal Collective Does Modern Art

     In celebration of the Guggenheim's 50th anniversary, the band Animal Collective and video artist Danny Perez joined forces yet again to produce a one-night-only exhibit, Transverse Temporal Gyrus, within the museum's rotunda. The three-hour long exhibit featured video projections, lights, props and three cloaked figures with masks accompanied by pre-recorded music and sounds.
     The Guggenheim's floor displayed various objects such as a patch of very large icicles pointing upwards into the rotunda and an illuminated orb with a visualizer projected onto it. Figures standing behind rock-like podiums were the most prominent part of the floor set-up. At first glance, these cloaked figures donning white, rabbit-like masks looked like statues. However, they moved their hands and heads very slightly with the music throughout the night. It didn't take long for the audience to figure out that these figures were members of Animal Collective: Avey Tare, Deakin and Geologist.
     Throughout the night, lights in the Guggenheim grew dimmer and the visuals projected on each winding ramp of the rotunda changed. Guests were encouraged to see the exhibit from multiple viewpoints by starting at the top of the ramp and working their way down. The music began to build through the night with the addition of sounds and layers of samples, transforming the museum into a fantastical atmosphere. Vocal samples were scarce, yet audience members could certainly hear the distinctive voices of Avey Tare and Panda Bear — who was not at the exhibit — playing over the track, even though it was sometimes difficult to hear over the noise of the crowd.
     Although the music and visuals changed slightly throughout the night, not much else happened. One could hardly call it a performance piece because hand and head movements do not make much of a performance. After the exhibit ended at midnight, Avey, Deakin and Geologist unmasked themselves and walked off.
     The strange exhibit definitely transformed the Guggenheim into an interesting atmosphere, but three hours is too excessive with absolutely nothing else occurring. It certainly was a testament to the dedication and endurance of the band members, who "performed" for a total of six hours since another exhibition time was added earlier in the day. It was different, but it is likely many attendees were expecting a bit more.