"Celebrate the launch of MUNNYWORLD, Kidrobot's all-new do-it-yourself toys, at the world's most prestigious custom vinyl extravaganza, featuring over sixty rock star artists from around the world. Be there to get your hands on these hot works of art before their official release. There will be beats booze, and the chance to meet many of the most important toys artists in the game."Not only was this a chance to see (as well as purchase) the latest custom Munnys (each 18" high), but also an introduction to several new DIY toys- Trikky, Bub, Raffy and Rooz- also available for purchase. These were also displayed in the gallery space in large, artfully arranged stacks.
It was definitely an "extravaganza," and felt more like a party than an art exhibition. I hadn't expected this to be the case. When I got there, there was a long line stretching down the block. There was also a VIP line being heavily used. Melissa Joan Hart, a TV actress and huge part of my childhood as Clarissa on Nickelodeon's Clarissa Explains it All, was there. Her name, however, was not on the VIP list and she had to wait in the long line with the rest of us. I blame this on the 18 year old with the clipboard, who did not recognize her. Overall, I was struck by how young the people involved in running the event appeared- the DJ looked especially youthful.
It was extremely crowded, which, given my curatorial background, made me nervous for the artwork. At points, you could hardly move through the space- I blame it on the free beer and wine, which didn't seem to last through the end of the opening, expect to those lucky VIPs who continued to partake. I appreciated KR's signage, which was uniform throughout the gallery space, announcing what was for sale, not to touch the toys, and where to dispose of your empty bottle.
At first, I was slightly apprehensive about bringing my camera to this event, but I fit right in- people were taking pictures all around me.
The artists fit right into the crowd, expect that several of them were signing/doodling in sketchbooks or on toys. If it weren't for my friend Zach, I would not have noticed several of them that were not drawing this kind of attention to themselves.
Tilt
Overall, the quality of the customizations was varied. Some were very impressive, while others were less interesting. Most interesting was the scene itself.
It's amazing how fleeting this event was- only three days on view. During this time the Munnys were for sale online at kidrobot.com as well. They have since completely disappeared from kidrobot.com. Now it's hard to find images of the custom toys online, except through sites like Flickr where there exist many images similar to mine from people who were also at the event. Kidrobot did accurately state in their advertisements that the Munnyworld customs would "disappear" after Sunday, November 15. I guess I just didn't believe them . . . .
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