In the past, Doug Aitken has projected a lot of things onto a lot of surfaces, but never before has he wrapped an entire structure in a 360 degree film. Washington, DC’s Hirshhorn Museum is a cylindrical building with a plain concrete façade that goes all the way around, and until this May it will be the canvas for Aitken’s newest work, Song 1.Song 1 consists of stitched together renditions of the song “I Only Have Eyes For You” by various artists like Beck, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Devendra Banhard, No Age, Lucky Dragons, and others. Originally written in 1934, with its most famous recording released by The Flamingos in 1959, the song has been covered by everyone from Sinatra to Shilpa Ray And Her Happy Hookers, and is a long time staple in film and television. Everyone has at least one memory associated with this song, and Aitken’s installation will transform DC residents’ perceptions of the nondescript Hirshhorn using this ubiquitous association.The projection will be kicked off with some words by the artist and several events and performances will punctuate the viewing. If you happen to be in DC, be sure to check this out, but make sure you walk all the way around the Hirshhorn or you’ll be missing part of the movie.
A rendering of Song 1.The Hirshhorn Museum in its natural state.[via Architects Newspaper]
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