Lesley’s Discussion Post 6
You Are Here, curated by RadicalMedia, is a film displayed on 16 screens in a dark room, compiled of movies all set in New York. The film takes clips and lines from a plethora of movies: sometimes, a couple of screens will show the same movie, or all of them will show the same clip. The visitor can choose to look at any screen they want, but sometimes the film will draw their attention to one clip or line, making it especially insightful. I remember the first thing I saw when I walked into the exhibit was all 16 screens showing Leonardo DiCaprio as Jordan Belfort saying something about money and greed. The film was captivating, and I sat through the whole exhibition as it walked viewers through history, identities, and boroughs. It drew on the common theme of New Yorkers admitting that there are many things wrong with the city—the anxious energy, rude people, and dirty streets—yet not wanting to leave it, ever, because it’s “New York or Nowhere.” This theme resonated with me a lot, especially when it featured the boroughs and stated how people from the outer boroughs are more appreciative of Manhattan because the city always “drew them in.” I really enjoyed the museum overall, though I spent the most time at this exhibit. I also really enjoyed the Art Deco exhibit with all the postcards. I thought that the different mediums in each exhibit made the museum interesting on all levels; you could walk out of one world and into another.

