Lee Wells of Perpetual Art Machine invited us to this awesome looking event this coming Thursday:

“THOSE ABOUT TO DIE SALUTE YOU”
from the latin “Moritori te selutant”, attributed to prisoners addressing Emperor Claudius prior to the naumachia to which they had been fated. –52 AD

HISTORY
In times of economic difficulty, Roman emperors would host violent spectator sports to placate the masses. The bloodiest and most decadent of these was the NAUMACHIA; prisoners were forced to engage in full-on naval warfare within a flooded Roman amphitheater. Variations were re-popularized in empires throughout European history, always coinciding with instances of over-indulgence at the brink of financial and societal collapse.

Duke Riley will flood one of the remaining structures from the former World’s Fairgrounds in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and host a Naumachia.

Art dignitaries (amongst other participants) will be forced to battle from boats representing the five boroughs of New York City. All of the boats are made directly from materials recovered from the abandoned World’s Fair Ice Rink and trash from the park.

The Naumachia will include work by Jade Townsend and Kitty Joe Sainte-Marie and performances by Lara Allen and Rebecca Goyette. There will be a pre-game show featuring Hell Bent Hooker.

To get there by Subway, take the 7 train to Mets Stadium/Willets Point. Walk down the boardwalk into the park and follow signs to the Queens Museum of Art.

The event and the booze is free but there is a mandatory toga dress code. Togas will be provided for those who don’t have their own. Also, you may want to bring your own flask because the free booze will go quickly.