SMITHSONIAN COLLECTION FOR 9/11
The Smithsonian American Art Museum has pulled several artworks from its collection that remind us of the moments of tragedy, the enduring spirit of a nation, and the lasting impact of the events of 9/11 — including Roy Lichtenstein’s Modern Head. “Originally installed in Battery Park City, one block from the World Trade Center, the sculpture survived the events of 9/11. FBI agents temporarily used it as a message board, taping notes for each other to its base while they worked shifting through the rubble. It was removed from the site in November of that year and is now installed on the grounds of SAAM’s main building in Washington, DC.”

BATTERY DANCE TO PERFORM ON 9/11
Tribeca-based Battery Dance will mark the 20th Anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center near its home at 8:46am on Saturday morning, Sept. 11, 2021. Five performers will gather on the traffic island bordered by Varick and Franklin Streets and West Broadway, dancing to the strains of a solo violin in tribute to the victims of 9/11 while symbolizing resilience and healing. This activation reflects back to September 2001, when the Company emerged from its loft located in the Frozen Zone below Canal Street. Tadej Brdnik danced a solo accompanied by four musicians on the same traffic island in view of the empty sky corridor that had previously been punctuated by the Twin Towers.

EIKO OTAKE: SLOW TURN AT BELVEDERE
The performance artist Eiko Otake will perform a piece called Slow Turn tomorrow, Sept. 11, at Belvedere Plaza at the North Cove at 7 am and 6 pm. Eiko and her longtime partner Koma were artists-in-residence in the North Tower throughout the year 2000. In 2002, they premiered Offering: A Ritual of Mourning with David Krakauer, an internationally acclaimed clarinetist/composer. Created specifically for this occasion and this site, Eiko’s new piece centers on a monologue of her personal memories of that day and its aftermath. She has invited David Krakauer to perform short solo pieces to bookend her monologue, with Iris McCloughan as a dramaturg. Eiko’s early morning performance starts at 7am where the sun reaches the plaza. The second performance, which starts at 6pm, will end before the sun sets on the Hudson River.

“WE RISE” AT ONE ART SPACE
One Art Space at 23 Warren will host a group show made up of several artists who had studios on the 91st floor of Tower One on 9/11. The artists have created new work celebrating the rebirth and rise of New York and its people. Some artists capture the beauty of NYC from above, while others have transformed collected materials into stunning collages and inspiring sculptures. There is an opening tonight from 6 to 9p; the show is open until Sept. 16.

THE MINI UN THAT WAS WINDOWS
USA Today has a story on Windows on the World, and the mini UN that emerged among its employees: “In the kitchens, Windows employees from all over the world — about 450 people from more than two dozen countries — laughed over potluck meals quite different from what was served in the formal dining room. People from Bangladesh, India, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Australia and more brought in dishes from their home countries.”