The Hudson Yards development has been the subject of much recent criticism, but it is a notice in its Terms & Conditions that has crossed the line for many of its visitors. Effective March 19th, one would find this warning article on the Vessel's website:
7. NOTICE OF FILMING OR RECORDING. I agree that all photographs, audio recordings, and video footage taken of me while at the Vessel, and any derivative works (“Recordings”), will be the sole property of Company. As the owner of the Recordings, Company has the unconditional, irrevocable right (exercisable by Company or by third parties on Company’s behalf) to reproduce, display and use the Recordings, including for advertising, marketing and promotional purposes, in all media and formats, whether now known or later developed. I further authorize Company to store the Recordings on a database and transfer the Recording to third parties in conjunction with security and marketing procedures undertaken by Company.
This one paragraph has caused outrage, as it is a commonly unheard-of warning presented by a a popular tourist attraction. In the following article, photos of the structure are summarized as "Vessel media" that are no longer the right of their photographers or videographers.
photos of the structure are summarized as "Vessel media" that are no longer the right of their photographers or videographers
Following a public backlash, the policy is currently under revision. According to CNN, "the operator has added clauses into the policy, allowing people to retain ownership of their posts, saying Vessel only wants the right to “amplify and re-share” the photos."
But even if this article is amended, there are important questions to raise: what artistic labor were they planning to make anonymous by the article? How can this space be understood as public if this article is given legitimacy? And how might media artists visiting the Vessel react to this article, either through resistance, subversion or acceptance?
That photo looks like an Escher drawing.
On the upside, it provides a lot of public exercise... and so does the downside! Ba-dum-bum.
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These word-salad, untested, all-inclusive legal Terms & Conditions need to be killed dead, burned, tread into the soil, used to grow crops, eaten, shat out, treated, gathered up, placed into a vial, and shot into the fucking sun. All of them.
I would prefer applying your remedy to the creators and purveyors of such.
I will be interested to see how this affects policy on the future of sculpture at this scale. Purely lip service to accessibility of experience without clear equal access. I'm sure the carefully worded project narrative was that it is sculpture, it is listed under objects in their website and I'm sure nobody in their office would contradict this, but it quite simply acts both experientially and scalarly at the scale of architecture. No building could get away with this. At some level I guess it's very inception and inside joke to it's design mirrors that of the terms and conditions in recording... both are preposterously hoping from the outset they can get away with it... one an empty vessel, the other hoping to steal your soul leaving you an empty vessel.
For all the headlines about Heatherwick's creativity, it boils down to a wasted opportunity as far as I'm concerned. Pales in comparison to the UK Pavilion in both message and concept.
If credit is given, the detailing is probably sound, the structure is adventurous, and a whole series of people were convinced along the way it should be built... none an easy task. Yet all while being bereft of any social relevance or meaningful goal.
This project flouts one of the earliest rules I learned in architecture. Never go up to do down.
Sometimes you gotta get up to get on down.
Word.
i'd like to see a time-lapse video of the cleaning crews mopping this thing every night.
That photo looks like an Escher drawing.
On the upside, it provides a lot of public exercise... and so does the downside! Ba-dum-bum.
Reminds me of nightclubs now in London whom specify no horns and no whistles, presumably because that is what Apple/Google/YouTube/Spotify specify. It used to be no caps, no trainers on some nights. Nice And Safe Attitude.
Does freedom of panorama not count in the US?
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