New Museum Launches Festival of Ideas for the New City with Rem Koolhaas Keynote
From May 4 to 8, 2011, the New Museum hosted the Festival of Ideas for the New City, serving as an innovative hub for urban living. The event included a three-day conference and a one-day StreetFest on May 7, featuring over 100 projects across downtown locations. On May 4, architect Rem Koolhaas presented the keynote speech at NYU's Rosenthal Pavilion. The StreetFest offered food demonstrations and urban gardening workshops, with a focus on achieving zero waste. Various venues showcased projects, including White Box, which was open for 31 hours, and Nuit Blanche New York, which highlighted art. The festival aimed to boost economic growth and support neighborhoods like Chinatown and the Lower East Side, recognizing the New Museum's influence on gentrification.
Key facts
- Festival ran May 4–8, 2011
- Rem Koolhaas gave keynote address on May 4
- StreetFest occurred May 7 along Bowery and Sara D. Roosevelt Park
- Over 100 projects displayed in downtown venues
- StreetFest aimed for zero waste with specially designed receptacles
- White Box gallery open 31 hours straight
- Parallels drawn to 1939–1940 New York World's Fair
- Festival website: www.festivalofideasnyc.com
Entities
Artists
- Rem Koolhaas
- Family
- PlayLab
Institutions
- New Museum
- New York University
- Cooper Union
- White Box
- Nuit Blanche New York
- artcritical
Locations
- Lower East Side
- New York
- United States
- East Village
- Soho
- Nolita
- Chinatown
- Bowery
- Sara D. Roosevelt Park
- Rosenthal Pavilion
- Kimmel Center
- 60 Washington Sq South