AN ESCAPE ROOM AT ONASSIS USA IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

“The Privilege of Escape” is not your average escape room. Risa Puno’s latest public art project distills the complexity of privilege by placing it in context of a thrilling game just under the building of Onassis USA on the heart of Manhattan. The winner of the first -ever- open call by Creative Time, transforms the exhibition hall into a space full of crafted towers, boards, grids and other familiar objects that might seem like oversized Jengas, where each visitor has 45 minutes to figure out how to play in order to get out.

Cultural critic of the New York Times Jillian Steinhauer’s, latest feature states that, “‘The Privilege of Escape’ turns from a high-stakes thriller into a disarming demonstration of social inequality. Whether or not you succeed is largely beyond your control” and although “The experience is exhilarating, it can also be psychologically uncomfortable. After all, the most pressing question regarding privilege isn’t ‘how does it make you feel?’ but ‘what can you do about it?’.”

Risa Puno: The Privilege of Escape | Until 11 August 2019 at Onassis USA, 645 5th Avenue, Manhattan - creativetime.org.