Ten years ago, The New School Committee for the University Art Collection commissioned artist Kara Walker to create a mural that would spark conversation amongst students. The piece, titled “Event Horizon,” occupies both sides of the staircase in Arnhold Hall, where the Mannes College of Music recently moved. This controversial mural does spark conversations amongst students, but as the use of the building has changed, so have opinions about the mural itself.
The floor-to-ceiling length mural depicts black silhouette figures tumbling down a tunnel through an open white space. This stark contrast is symbolic of racial tension.
“Walker associated this passageway [in the mural] with the Underground Railroad, which is represented as a tunnel,” according to an article released by the New School following the unveiling in 2005.
With her first year BFA students, New School Drama Professor Jean Taylor views the mural with her class multiple times and discusses how the ambiguous nature of the mural can create conversation.
“Works of art, if we engage with them fully, can help us become more wide awake to our world,” Taylor said. “It’s provocative, but it’s in a place and in a school that wants to talk about those issues. I think it’s fabulous that The New School has commissioned it. Kids have said to me ‘Wow, I’ve walked by that before and now I can’t help myself. I have to stop and look at it again.’”
“Event Horizon” occupies the entire main floor wall on both sides of the stairway in Arnhold Hall. The mural is in a social space; three red chairs sit suitably at the mural’s base for students’ use. On any given day, students can be seen in these chairs talking amongst each other.
According to some music students, the piece is out of place at the newly renovated Arnhold Hall, which now houses the performing arts school.
“It certainly does promote conversation, but I don’t think this is an appropriate place for this painting” Mannes student Angel Asangsaerhanda said. “It doesn’t match with the characteristic of the building being a music school.”
On the other hand, Michelle Garzon, a sophomore at Parsons who works in the Shelia C. Johnson gallery, felt that the mural was a good fit for the space. “I think they use the space well. Considering Lang focuses more on social justice, then I think it’s a good fit because Arnhold Hall used to be mainly a Lang building.”
Garzon also noted that while conversations about art around campus are frequent, they are often school related. She joked that fellow students often didn’t know of the gallery in the Parsons building. “If something related is happening in class [students] say, ‘Oh yeah! You should check out this exhibit!’ But I don’t think Parsons students are as interested in things like the Arnhold Hall piece or social justice,” Garzon said.
Other students agree that the piece is a good fit for the building, but have qualms with the way it depicts African Americans. Mark Nimar and Katie Dubbs are both second-year masters students at Mannes who one day found themselves discussing the piece. “I think it’s important to put successful depictions of African Americans instead of just slavery,” said Nimar, even though he loves the mural aesthetically. “It did open my mind and start a conversation,” said Nimar.
“Whether or not art promotes dialogue, I think the presence of it is fulfilling,” said Dubbs. “This is a place that’s supposed to be about experimentation and creativity and innovation, so having things that are a little bit shocking is completely appropriate and mission aligned.”
