Neither more nor less

The guard at the gate said no : the party walked in .Though the staff was likely a bit confused and uncertain , at the beginning  it seemed welcoming as Penley's party made its way under the bright lights to the the central portion of the BMW Guggenheim Lab. During most of the event  staff members sat or stood quietly on the perimeter of the action , some photographing and videoing the party members .We attempted to speak with a few staff members and were told that they had been told not to speak with us .Later these staff members , clearly conflicted  ,did talk about what was happening and how they felt about it all .Seems that they had anticipated this event .They certainly had reason to anticipate , Mr. Penley had previously told them that he was bringing a street party to the Lab.

The same folks that speak out at the corner 7th Street and avenue A to the wreak of bum piss , passed out drunks and  nodding junkies were at the BMW Guggenheim Lab Saturday night  under the bright lights of an utterly sterile stage .Their message was nothing new ,the same messengers too delivering it not to the passing souls on avenue A , but to the Guggenheim staff .

Top billed L.E.S. Jewels made his entrance with his entourage from the opposite end of the Gug Lab .He spoke a poem written for the evening . Amazingly sober and with his pants on he comported himself honorably as one of the main acts of the evening .

The few truly tense moments occurred when Mr. Penley refused a request  from staff members to not smoke . Mr. Penley taunting , challenged a staff member to call the police , opening a hard pack of Marlboroughs and offering cigarettes to other members of the party  . Several lit up and smoke  dramatically curled around in the bright stage lighting .Reasonably the Gug staff seemed not to want cops and the press attention  that their presence would bring . Mr. Penley also introduced a masked member of the group "Annonymous" noting that perhaps BMW and the Guggenheim might be next on the hackers list .

What did this party at the Gug Lab matter ? As we've noted nothing was said  that hasn't been shouted out many times at the entrance to Tompkins Square Park . Some stood Saturday night to power and wealth? Whatever it is that was accomplished its likely as significant as the usual intellectualized drivel that oozes from think tanks .