DCist: Artomatic Breathes Life into NoMa

markel

Thu, 15 May 2008 09:25:32 -0500

Review of Artomatic can be found at www.markpowerblog.com

smittydc

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:26:40 -0500

You definitely have to check it out a couple floors at a time. Let's be honest, you couldn't take 8 floors of the National Gallery or Met without getting tired of art and burned out. Check out a floor or two, grab a drink and listen to a band, then try another couple.

Nikolas Schiller

Mon, 12 May 2008 17:25:17 -0500

I made a second YouTube video of my exhibit space: http://youtube.com/watch?v=bLUkwZWTam8 This video is a 42 second "fly-through" stretched out to 3 minutes & 30 seconds and reversed. It shows close-up details of a couple of my maps on display. More info about the audio on the YouTube page.

IMGoph

Sun, 11 May 2008 15:00:26 -0500

i went on friday night, saw 3 floors, and really need to go back for a floor a night, i think. just take your time going through everything. and enjoy the amazing view of the rest of the city...

Lenny

Sun, 11 May 2008 12:17:58 -0500

Terrific overview of AOM and one that gets the point about AOM... It takes 5 weeks to visit this show... and the best part is breathing in all the artistic energy that it releases.

NotoriousREG

Sat, 10 May 2008 09:15:06 -0500

I went last night and made it through about four floors (from the top down.) Overall I agree that there is a more consistent level of really good stuff. I have mixed feelings about the layout because while it's more open and therefore it's easier to see more of the exhibits in one passing, I too miss the weird little nooks and crannies of previous years. I also like the juxtaposition of this quasi-grass roots local artist exhibition sitting next to the bling-bling of Ibiza. (Shameless self promotion: If you need a boost of caffeine other than Red Bull, Big Bear Cafe is providing coffee up on the 11th floor.)

MikeB

Sat, 10 May 2008 01:43:20 -0500

Well, I'm with Reid for the most part. I only have last year's to compare to, but I got back a little while ago and I thought it was pretty darn good. Though a little weird hanging out with the fire dancers outside while other folks made their way to Fur and Ibiza. The corporate sponsorship didn't bother me. Hell, they were selling Flying Dog Pale Ale at the downstairs bar. No complaints there.

Reid

Sat, 10 May 2008 00:13:39 -0500

Ok, I just got back from Artomatic. Some thoughts: -Artomatic has gone corporate. Lots of corporate sponsorship this year, which doesn't bother me in the least bit. I guess it's a sign of respect that Toyota would give them money. Most of the other sponsors have some skin in the game in that they're developers hoping to jumpstart the neighborhood's imminent gentrification. -Artomatic is actually really good this year. The quality of the art is by far the best I've seen from Artomatic. Far less navelgazing freakout stuff. -Artomatic is way less quirky than it used to be. Kind of the flip side of the previous comment. The quality is a lot better, but it's almost a bit "bourgeois", if you get my drift. So while you catch yourself saying "wow that's kind of nice" more this year, you're way less likely to say "what the hell is that?". A bit more totally weird stuff would've been nice. -The space is nice and all, but I miss the variety of the past. Every floor has the exact same open plan layout. It almost becomes a bit surreal after you've seen three or four floors. But I miss the nooks and crannies of some of the other spaces. -The shot of the building at night is going to flood DCist photo pool

Mike Licht

Fri, 09 May 2008 18:21:44 -0500

Maybe someone could "handicap" this unwieldy thing, picking out the best 40 exhibitors who aren't their friends. Or is that too much like a (gasp) jury?

Reid

Fri, 09 May 2008 18:16:18 -0500

I have liked the maze-like quality of past Artomatics. The Capitol Children's Museum offered a lot of intimate nooks and crannies, although the mix of large and small spaces that was offered at Artomatic 02 in the old Waterfront Mall was perhaps my favorite (although I thought the actual art was not as good as the following years). For whatever reason, it had the best party atmosphere. It also had this cool Metro theme.

Nikolas Schiller

Fri, 09 May 2008 18:14:41 -0500

I'm on the 8th Floor in the south-east corner, behind the M in artoMatic and curiously, also behind the photograph that DCist uses in the article above. Come say hello, and if you can't make it, check out my YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35tIwpkffh8

MrTinDC

Fri, 09 May 2008 17:24:07 -0500

Looking forward to it, and nice photo of Capital Plaza 1!