I admit that I am really behind the curve in posting about the 'Phoenix:Xu Bing" exhibit at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine but, I am a little concerned about the new admission process at the Cathedral. It is now impossible to just enter the nave of the Cathedral, without being directed by a guard to the Visitor Center. The person at the cash register will tell you that the fee is $10.00 dollars to get in. They don't mention that is a suggested admission so if this fee is not in your price range offer what you can. I am all for the Church raising money to keep open but they should be more careful to mention that is is a suggested price, verbally, I think it is written in small print somewhere. Anyway once you are in you will very glad you did donate something because the exhibition is breathtaking. The two very large and exotic looking bird sculptures hanging from the nave are called Feng ( the male) and Huang ( the female) respectively. Together they weigh 12 tons and are made from the detritus of construction building sites in Beijing China. The artist Xu Bing embarked on his project in 2008 and took 2 years to create and assemble them with his team of assistants. They have traveled a long way making stops at the Today Art Museum in Beijing, the Expo 10 in Shanghai, MassMoCa in North Adams, MA and finally the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. They will be displayed here through 2014. This exhibit is perfect for all ages.
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is located at:
1047 Amsterdam Avenueat 112th Street in Manhattan
The Cathedral is open 7:30 am – 6 pm daily.
The Visitor Center and Cathedral Shop are open 9 am – 5 pm daily.
http://www.stjohndivine.org/visit