Water Works

This week, the Park Avenue Armory unveiled its latest site-specific stunt: tears become…stream become…, an immersive show by artist Douglas Gordon and pianist Helene Grimaud. Hauntingly beautiful, the collaborative piece takes the form of a series of solo concerts performed by Grimaud from within Gordon’s immersive installation: an industrial sized pool, which almost swallows the entirety of the massive drill hall. Gordon’s pool reflects the vaulted ceiling of the Armory and acts as a monumental canvas for the reverberations of Grimaud’s music. The piano notes ripple across the dark surface like a dreamy echo. “With my music, I try to stop time or alter it even if it is only for a fraction of a second,” says Grimaud, who will give 10 performances in the month of December. “Gordon’s space enhances this immersive quality.”