'99 Locations Of New York' Is A Subtly Surreal Tour Of The Five Boroughs

To watch video artist Menzkie's 99 Locations of New York feels not unlike a full day spent strolling through NYC's infinite streets, despite the short only spanning a brief two minutes. The film captures flash moments and impressions of—as the title indicates—99 different spots throughout the city. Ranging from the iconic to the mundane, the vignettes evoke the phenomenon of walking around without a particular motive or place to be.

The piece sets itself apart from a guided city tour, however, by inserting a variety of objects that don't quite belong throughout the metropolis. Some of are very noticeable—like a squad of giant jellyfish floating over Central Park—but the low key additions (such as shadowy figures sauntering about) make 99 Locations utterly arresting.

As the video progresses, the unusual background noise of chiptunes and 8-bit sound effects grow in volume, paralleling the digitally-added phenomena. It's not quite creepy, but it reminds us that any given Manhattan street is unique and almost alive. Plus, even when strange apparitions appear in the film, it reminds us that nothing wholly feels out of place in New York.

Menkie is a video artist, music video director, and commercial director. Check out his portfolio here.

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