Alon Z / Art / McCarren park

The running track in McCarren park attracts all sorts of activities. Being addicted to endorphins I can certainly relate to the narcotic nature of the venue, though the track seems to be a consuming center for a variety of substances.

The other day I arrived around 6am for my eight mile run. Most people don't like doing this kind of distance in a four hundred meter loop, though I don't mind, I've always been a fan of repetition. As I entered the park I noticed this interesting composition, at first I thought that someone forgot something that resemble a small chandelier, at a second look I understood that it was some kind of advance smoking device surrounded by empty beer bottles, and that this random arrangement of objects was carefully curated during the night before leading up to this moment.

Thirty two times I will pass the device and its surrounding composition at today's run. Each encounter wondering how it got here, how do I feel about it, do I enjoy its visual qualities, should I tell somebody, should I take it home. At some point the questions become almost meditative and I completely forget about the presence of the device, it becomes just a marker indicating that I finished another round, and indeed before I know it, I complete the run, do some unconscious stretching and leave.