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Idea Warehouse ยท 22 Reade Street
Idea Warehouse
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1999

Idea Warehouse
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IMAGE DATE1999
FromNew York Public Library logoNew York Public Library

The former "Idea Warehouse," 22 Reade Street, 1999.

In 1973, Clocktower Gallery and P.S. 1 founder Alanna Heiss leased space in a city-owned building on Reade Street, under the imprimatur of the Institute of Art and Urban Resources.

Studio occupants included the composer Philip Glass, performance artist Charlemagne Palestine, and avant-garde theatre company Mabou Mines, while an additional space was reserved for performances and exhibitions. The space closed in December 1975, following a fire.

In materials for the New Museum's 1981 survey of the city's history of alternative spaces, "Alternatives in Restrospect: An Historical Overview 1969-1975," Palestine reflected:

"Recalling the Idea Warehouse to my mind, I remember a space of haunted power, seemingly possessed by strange spirits. Any works that took place there seemed to contain something extraterrestrial, almost as thought it housed ghost refugees from a seance long ago. I loves that space as did many other people. Spaces like that are almost extinct now."

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