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With a slightly off-the-map location in Queens and a clear emphasis on installation art, P.S. 1 is relatively unique among New York museums. What may be most distinctive about P.S. 1, however, is the degree to which it demands active engagement from its visitors. Since its founding in a former public school 23 years ago, P.S. 1 has largely been guided by the vision of a single person -- its founder and executive director, Alanna Heiss. She has been involved in vitrually every project at the museum, including the selection of works ranging from paintings and sculptures to video installations and site-specific projects. "We're trying to strike this slightly odd area of another kind of way of being in a building looking at art," Heiss said. "We want the building itself to be a friendly place where you come in and you want to walk around. And you take your time, and when you leave you say to yourself: 'There's probably some surprises left and I'll come back soon. To school.'" Since co-founding the Institute for Art and Urban Resources in 1971, Heiss has pursued the use of underutilized New York real estate as showcases for art, and in P.S. 1 she has had her most significant success. P.S. 1 owes its name to its adopted home, and still retains some of the look and feel of its more utilitarian past. The huge Romanesque revival building, which was greatly expanded in a recent three-year, $8.5 million renovation, is still owned by the city. Completed in 1997, this expansion marks a crucial benchmark in the institution's development. Another such benchmark was the announcement earlier this year that P.S. 1 would merge with Manhattan's Museum of Modern Art. This partnership promises P.S. 1 long-term stability while providing MOMA with access to more cutting-edge contemporary art. The two museums have launched their first joint project this summer, as architect Philip Johnson has designed a temporary multi-tiered disk jockey booth and dance pavilion in P.S. 1's central courtyard. This structure serves as the centerpiece for P.S. 1's Saturday 'Warm-Up' series, during which musicians and DJs provide live music to accompany visitors' art-viewing and encourage dancing. The 'Warm-Up' series, which continues through September, is just one aspect of P.S. 1's summer lineup. Two exhibits running through August 29 are 'Animal.Anima.Animus,' featuring art that focuses on the relationship between humans and animals, and '0044,' an exploration of the work of Irish artists living and working in Britain. P.S. 1 also provides working space for several guest artists. This year's participant in the International Studio Program, Jeanne van Heeswijk, has set up her own program, 'Hotel New York'. She has converted her studio space to mirror a room in a Rotterdam hotel, and she is inviting various collaborators to use it as a working and living space. The work produced there will occasionally be on view to the public. Text and audio interview by Justin Peacock/The New York Times on the Web
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Listen Listen to Alanna Heiss's overview of the museum's history and goals. requires RealPlayer
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