Grand Rapids is seriously one of my favorite cities, and that says a lot considering I'm from Chicago. I applaud GR year after year for coming up with these great ideas, that city just seems to grow and grow.
100,000 pieces of paper is really not that huge of an impact compared to an average family. The average ream that you buy at an office store is 500 pieces. Stack two on top of each other and you have 1000. Then imagine one hundred of those stacks and you have less than half the amount they stock at Staples on any given day.
For those too stupid to read the description: it was an artprize entry and not just Hey lets block a street and waste paper. People gladly volunteered to help and children loved collecting the planes. Rob has done an amazing job at bringing GR together for fun harmless events and made us all appreciate our great city. It hurts to read these distasteful comments. If you aren't part of this awesome city you have no room to talk and apparently can't appreciate great art, music, and pure family fun.
@michiganman889 First of all: an insult isn't quite the same when the person it's coming from can't even spell. Second, have you ever met him? Do you know anything about him? In other words do you have any reason at all for that comment?
It's funny that people say this is a waste of paper & too much trash that won't get picked up by the artist.
Apparently people cannot appreciate the simple things in life, which is exactly what this is all about. It was for bringing a community together for an event that may seem small to others, but not for those who appreiciate the simple things.
It's disgusting actually that people don't know how to really live. Btw; there was a cleaning crew hired so it got picked up. Ignorant you all are.
That was lame. They just gathered a bunch of people and dumped bags of paper off the top of a building. That is not how a paper airplane works and it was a huge waste paper! STUPID!!
@Kanashto There was no mess. Kids loved the planes so a lot got taken home as mementos. The rest were gladly picked up by volunteers and then recycled.
The manpower of folding this many paper airplanes is impressive, but the effect was not. It was just tons of paper falling on a crowd of people. Efforts could have been harnessed toward something more useful.
ok well ppl just did that /went to that to have fun and see sumething kinda cool!!! id like to see u try to make 100, 000 plus aiplanes, get permission to throw them off sumeones builiding and get 20,000 + ppl to come.
@mrejr8234 He didn't have to, and he would have, except the kids enjoyed it so much that they were trying to collect them, after everyone was gone, there were no airplanes left, not even in the trees. Try not to criticize someone when you don't know all the details.
@NoWaPoo: I agree with MarixD9 in terms of a lot of people already being out on the street for Artprize. I also agree that Grand Rapids is a small pond. From the 2007 census statistics, the estimated population of Grand Rapids, MI was 776,833. For the same year, New York City had an estimated population of 8,274,527. I'm enthused that you're bright enough to point out the most obvious statement of the fucking century.
That was kind of pointless, maybe 100000 leaves or butterflies would have been cooler? Or paper airplanes that actually flew, I thought all those people would write their name on a plane, then throw their own airplane, and see which one would make it to the top of the building first, and win some sort of prize....
@elcapytom Yes you are correct, it was a HAPPY day. I don't think, however, that paper and people getting together for pure family fun can be homosexual
what's the point of this? it isn't creative. the idea clearly wasn't thought through, the paper airplanes don't fly-they just fall to the ground. flat sheets of paper would have had the wind resistance to provide a more interesting display. it's a ton of litter. is it really a good use of trees? once that paper hits the ground, it's unusable. it will be recycled or thrown away, or it will clog up the storm drains, which are all unfortunate, wasteful ends. this isn't art, this is waste.
i don't think it's that unique, though. i won't call this a "rip off", but i certainly see a Sony Bravia commercial potential here, lol. for those of you who haven't seen them yet, just type in keyword Sony Bravia, and they will blow you away.
what? it isn't creative, throwing paper airplanes.. you kidding? the idea bombed, just fall to the ground. flat sheets of paper would have had the wind resistance to provide a more interesting display. it's a ton of litter. is it really a good use of trees? once that paper hits the ground, it's unusable. it will be recycled or thrown away, or it will clog up the storm drains, which are all unfortunate, wasteful ends. this isn't art, this is waste.
I disagree that this was inane or pointless. It was a creative, unique and innovative idea, and that is what art is about. If you think about this from an artist's perspective, you're not thinking about the trouble it took you to get there, the length of the event, and the trouble it took you to get out. I was watching the shapes that clumps of planes created as they fell as well as taking in the colors. Plus, the beautiful Sigur Ros music certainly made it that much more enjoyable.
I wuz there. It wuz cool, but the airplanes would have had much more hangtime if the tips were not folded in. I guess safety first? UR GUNNA POLKA UR EYE OUT KID!
Looking straight up at a thousand paper airplanes flying straight down. Yeah nobody can think of a way that could end badly. It is sad people gather in these numbers so easily for the most inane pointless activities, but ask them to step out for something that matters and all of the sudden it's all I Have To Work That Day and crap.
I was there at the event. I must admit that it was anti-climatic. This video looks cool, but the event was spread over 10-15 minutes as they tried to dump the planes. It took 45 minutes for me to get into position, 15 minutes to watch the event with about 2 minutes of actual action, and then another 45 minutes to get out of that mess of people.
Neat idea, but it failed to live up to the expectations.
He had to have a plan from start to finish which includes clean up. There was a clean up grew for this that he organized and the plan was to recycle the paper. It was an experiment and great fun. Did you see how many people were down there? I hear some of the restaurants started running out of food.
I liked the film I thought it was great! A good way to do something fun and different with your children. Don't be so narrow minded!
I wish I got to be there! I didn't hear about this until later that night after it happened...
A lot of trees were cut down to do this, I'm sure the ones that were cleaned up, got recycled. This brought thousands of people together, and thousands had a good time! This video is really good by the way!
you guys trolling on here about littering and all the cut down trees need to examine your own lives. yeah, a lot of trees were cut down and made into paper for those airplanes, but I would rather they be cut down bringing 20,000 smiling faces together then be used to print off someone's divorce papers. How about they be used to print off the failing grades of America's children? There are much bigger things in this world to bemoan then the "litter" this experiment caused.
I wasn't there, and it seems like it might have been anti-climatic. The film, however, was great and deserves recognition--great video and soundtrack!
Yeah, this is cool looking, But its only art for what? 12 seconds? Then it turns into litter. So a big shout out goes to Grand Rapids Sanitation and all the trees that died for a few seconds of flight. Honestly, he should not be in the top 25 for art prize
Well, Grand Rapids is not NYC...it's a small town in comparison and Rob did this with a small band of friends and family. He's organized a ton of events here, with no other purpose than to bring people together...zombie walk, sidewalk chalk drawing, etc. He's just a young guy trying to bring some joy and togetherness to our city...and it has worked!
I have to say that going to this event was a liitle bit of a let down. However, after watching the video and seeing all the smiling faces, crowded streets, happy kids, and sunny day... my opinion totally changed. Isn't art supposed to be a form of expression? What could be better than getting so many peolple together on such a gorgeous day? It makes me happy to live here.
Wow; a few negative comments here; looks to me like 20,000 plus people enjoyed themselves to me; who cares if it's art or not .... I live in this city and have seen lots of exhibits I would NOT classify as art - it's all by vote
Seriously. I mean, had the air planes been deployed in a way that they would actually glide a bit, it'd be interesting. Instead, they all fell down like a pile of confetti.
SOLUTION: If you think it's dumb, a flop, or not art, vote in down on the artprize website. But let the people who enjoyed the experience or video for what it is, art or not, enjoy it in peace.
There are some harsh words here. Is anyone an art expert? What counts is your interpretation of the video- that was the "art". The people in the video, the airplanes were simply the paint, the instruments, the canvas that made the video.
Films begin with ideas. There are many aspects in completing any type of production. Did Frank Capra, or Stephen Spielberg, or Martin Scorsese sing, or play instruments in their films? The point is that directors can be artists without actually performing art.
It was great! and it was fun. I was there. I am also an artist - a painter, designer, photographer - and I have to challenge anyone who claims to know what art is, or is not. I'm sorry there are so many negative people who who have to slam the amazing creativity, and efforts, of the guy who has brought fun and joy to thousands of people. Shame.
This was a gigantic waste of paper, time, attention. I can't wait until all the talented people who wasted their time on Grand Rapids lose ArtPrize and never come back because our taste in art is so redneck.
This was such a waste of publicity. If he wins I'm going to dump 10,000 paper middle fingers on his lawn.
I wondered about how much this was "art", but bringing people together in GR the way this guy does is an art! It was great fun and the people that day were great. Looking up into a sky of purple airplanes is a memory that will always make me smile.
i thought it was a well planned thing.. they said it was alot better then it accually was. but i thought it was really cool and it brought alot of people downtown. im even in the video
because i post a negative comment, the screeners delete it?
Come on guys. Even the press was NOT impressed. The event had merit in bringing people downtown but even as many posts here have said, it is not art. It did look like brightly colored trash thrown off a building. Lame.
People could argue for 10 years on what is art and what isnt. But the fact is, art means something different to everyone. Although it is not traditional art, it is art. The times are changing, just like art has been changing for thousands of years. Its changing now, and now its turning into more than just D2 work. More or less, it was an absolute site to see the people of Grand Rapids gathered together. We can only hope this turns into an annual ordeal.
Cool video, neat experiement, but not worthy of being in top 25 of art prize. I was downtown in the middle of it all and was (in my humble opinion) very underwhelmed by the airplanes/pieces of paper that fell down in the sky. in many ways it was a lame ticker tape parade. I know for a fact that the kids loved it, but my friends and I were bored 3 minutes in
This was such a wonderful display of simplistic life. i was there and got fixed at watching the one that didnt just zoom to the ground......people all around gathering to watch simple life pleasures of a small paper airplane twirling and soaring with the wind.....come on stop getting angry all you upset artprize people. this was such a breathe of fresh air in this tough world. thank you rob for being so great at gathering the masses! keep doing what you do!
I thought it was cool, but not as epic as I thought it was going to be, they were too spread out if you ask me, but it was still fun, and cool to watch
I agree, I enjoyed the atmosphere but I thought the paper airplanes were a bit anticlimactic. It's easy for me to say how it could have been better. Maybe it was my own fault for thinking it was going to be like a slow motion/out of body experience with planes falling slowly on my head while I spun around in circles while grinning with my eyes closed and my arms lifted towards the sky... Yeah I guess that's probably my fault... but thats what the all the prior talk and hype made me think...
The video is beautiful and I believe conveys what Rob wanted to accomplish with the piece, event or entry... a gathering of souls to witness, participate and enjoy something as simple as this melody and thousands of paper airplanes falling from the sky. It was a really great idea, concept and accomplishment to be proud of. Look past tangibles... art is NOT about tangibles.
Whew! I panicked about the cost for a second. I do think the event is considered art but unfortunately I don't think it ranks close to a lot of the other works that have been submitted for ArtPrize. I personally don't think it lived up to the hype, but it was cool to see so many people downtown and all the kids having a good time.
I think they used recycled paper... but besides that... Did this event really cost 1/2 million dollars? If it did, the minimal amount of respect and enjoyment I had for the event will be gone...
Can someone explain to me how this qualifies as art? If anything the video is more artistic than this event was. So the guy managed to grab the attention of 20,000 people... so what? I wasn't impressed. The video is a lot more hyped up than the actual event was. In my opinion, not worth 1/2 million dollars. But then again, what do Michiganders know about art anyway? Simply entertain them with some dumb act that makes them go "oooh" and "aaaah" and you've got their attention and their votes.
A celebration of flight, a celebration of life, a celebration of human ingenuity.
menamiketrx 3 weeks ago
It's the events like this that make me so thankful to live in the amazing city of Grand Rapids.
facelikesunshine 3 months ago
just fab, thank you for sharing xx
mcbooton 7 months ago
It definitely looks like a sigur ros video. :)
lucianonr 7 months ago
Soothing.
allenpalmeri 8 months ago
I love this, thank you!!!
msyPARIAH 9 months ago
unbelievable you could pull this off! good job!
justinkaise 9 months ago
Grand Rapids is seriously one of my favorite cities, and that says a lot considering I'm from Chicago. I applaud GR year after year for coming up with these great ideas, that city just seems to grow and grow.
XXChicagoGuy 9 months ago 3
Art Prize and the related events....one of the coolest ideas of the century! Thank you!
colemanjacksonville 10 months ago
i know that guy at 0:48
jojolw234 11 months ago
Grand Rapids...what a great town.
XXChicagoGuy 11 months ago 3
What a piece of shit way to throw paper airplane :(
cyber8000 1 year ago
I cry when I see this. This is what Sigur Rós is about. Happiness, hope and beauty in everything.
OgStaralfur 1 year ago 2
Comment removed
nancykisser 1 year ago
@OgStaralfur me too
nancykisser 1 year ago
100,000 pieces of paper is really not that huge of an impact compared to an average family. The average ream that you buy at an office store is 500 pieces. Stack two on top of each other and you have 1000. Then imagine one hundred of those stacks and you have less than half the amount they stock at Staples on any given day.
pyrotix 1 year ago
Rob Bliss really loves what he does! I went to the 500ft water slide that he started and he was so nice. He kept trying to make everyone happy
epicallyrandomx2 1 year ago
Wow...
All the negative comments on this video make me sad.
What has happened to humanity? Why must we keep demanding more and more in life to achieve happiness, when it can be done so easily?
This video proves the point, and its one of the most beautiful things i have seen...
DisastrousDoughnut 1 year ago 4
Reminds me of 9/11. imagine each airplane as a person. ROFL.
llama103 1 year ago
I can imagine that the kids will remember this moment for the rest of their lives. I would have loved to see it myself; great artist statement.
peachesandolivia 1 year ago 3
Comment removed
bug4350 1 year ago
For those too stupid to read the description: it was an artprize entry and not just Hey lets block a street and waste paper. People gladly volunteered to help and children loved collecting the planes. Rob has done an amazing job at bringing GR together for fun harmless events and made us all appreciate our great city. It hurts to read these distasteful comments. If you aren't part of this awesome city you have no room to talk and apparently can't appreciate great art, music, and pure family fun.
bug4350 1 year ago 2
wow. would have been so cool to see something like that.
ladyamethyst83 1 year ago
nice for like 1 minute.
horriblito 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
this rob bliss guy is such a doushe bag
michiganman889 1 year ago
@michiganman889 First of all: an insult isn't quite the same when the person it's coming from can't even spell. Second, have you ever met him? Do you know anything about him? In other words do you have any reason at all for that comment?
bug4350 1 year ago
Comment removed
bug4350 1 year ago
It's funny that people say this is a waste of paper & too much trash that won't get picked up by the artist.
Apparently people cannot appreciate the simple things in life, which is exactly what this is all about. It was for bringing a community together for an event that may seem small to others, but not for those who appreiciate the simple things.
It's disgusting actually that people don't know how to really live. Btw; there was a cleaning crew hired so it got picked up. Ignorant you all are.
universalfate 1 year ago 3
This comment has received too many negative votes show
6:19 I'm trusting that's pantyhose, or something of the sort, and not a black pair of legs with white hands?...
Waste of time, trees, effort and traffic block. A.K.A. Useless, A.K.A. made by a human who thinks they're better then the rest of humanity.
Tripp53 1 year ago
100,000 / 20,000 = 5 plans a person... not that bad.
ericbrass 1 year ago
That was lame. They just gathered a bunch of people and dumped bags of paper off the top of a building. That is not how a paper airplane works and it was a huge waste paper! STUPID!!
AceLockCo 1 year ago
what a waste
perahuputih 1 year ago
where was this held?
Finn536 1 year ago
great, but what a mess... I feel sorry for the ones who had to clean this up
Kanashto 1 year ago
@Kanashto There was no mess. Kids loved the planes so a lot got taken home as mementos. The rest were gladly picked up by volunteers and then recycled.
bug4350 1 year ago
People have wayyyyyyyy to much time on their hands.
mbeaule 1 year ago
waste of paper.
melao9 1 year ago
The manpower of folding this many paper airplanes is impressive, but the effect was not. It was just tons of paper falling on a crowd of people. Efforts could have been harnessed toward something more useful.
jessenorth 1 year ago
ok well ppl just did that /went to that to have fun and see sumething kinda cool!!! id like to see u try to make 100, 000 plus aiplanes, get permission to throw them off sumeones builiding and get 20,000 + ppl to come.
Finn536 1 year ago
this is kinda stupid, waste of paper also why couldn't it be something else like leaves or something
HFcinfinity 1 year ago
This would be WAY cooler with whirly-birds rather than airplanes
jwipe 1 year ago
100,000 pieces of trash that won't be picked up by the "artist".
mrejr8234 1 year ago
@mrejr8234 He didn't have to, and he would have, except the kids enjoyed it so much that they were trying to collect them, after everyone was gone, there were no airplanes left, not even in the trees. Try not to criticize someone when you don't know all the details.
Halomodder7 11 months ago
If that is art then I'm a space alien.
mrejr8234 1 year ago
1 year of folding paper airplanes XD
milen4o7o 2 years ago
A lot of the people there were people from out of town visiting for ArtPrize, which this was an entry in. It is all art.
MarixD9 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Apparently Grand Rapids is a pretty small pond...it doesn't take much to get them out in the streets.
Try that in NYC. People wouldn't even look up.
NoWaPoo 2 years ago
@NoWaPoo: I agree with MarixD9 in terms of a lot of people already being out on the street for Artprize. I also agree that Grand Rapids is a small pond. From the 2007 census statistics, the estimated population of Grand Rapids, MI was 776,833. For the same year, New York City had an estimated population of 8,274,527. I'm enthused that you're bright enough to point out the most obvious statement of the fucking century.
buefordwilson 2 years ago 3
i completely agree with jiaojiao118 ... tht was the first thing i remembered...
27sachin 2 years ago
To jest dopiero odlot? Ktoś chętny do zorganizowania tego w Polsce ?
sheeroko5555 2 years ago
That was kind of pointless, maybe 100000 leaves or butterflies would have been cooler? Or paper airplanes that actually flew, I thought all those people would write their name on a plane, then throw their own airplane, and see which one would make it to the top of the building first, and win some sort of prize....
ando444544 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
this is gay
elcapytom 2 years ago
@elcapytom Yes you are correct, it was a HAPPY day. I don't think, however, that paper and people getting together for pure family fun can be homosexual
bug4350 1 year ago
It was so beautiful, and I love the music too. The cool thing is somewhere in those thousands...is me. lol
TheDaysOfTheWeek 2 years ago 2
don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Sigur Ros and think this is absolutely beautiful.
jiaojiao118 2 years ago
If 100000 people throw paper airplanes to the street from a building at same time, it must be EPIC!!!!!
This vid some paper airplanes are distorted, sad....
hajime2006 2 years ago 2
what's the point of this? it isn't creative. the idea clearly wasn't thought through, the paper airplanes don't fly-they just fall to the ground. flat sheets of paper would have had the wind resistance to provide a more interesting display. it's a ton of litter. is it really a good use of trees? once that paper hits the ground, it's unusable. it will be recycled or thrown away, or it will clog up the storm drains, which are all unfortunate, wasteful ends. this isn't art, this is waste.
genowhirl 2 years ago
All the paper was picked up and recycled or taken home by participants. My daughter has a couple of the planes. We're putting one in her baby book.
Nalathni 2 years ago 6
It doesn't need a point, it was cool and unique and something you don't see everyday.
ShadowSoldior 2 years ago 23
i don't think it's that unique, though. i won't call this a "rip off", but i certainly see a Sony Bravia commercial potential here, lol. for those of you who haven't seen them yet, just type in keyword Sony Bravia, and they will blow you away.
jiaojiao118 2 years ago 2
think first, THEN type ok?
." The paper airplanes were 100 percent post-consumer and were picked up by children, participants and a professional cleaning crew. "
xxtiaan 2 years ago 18
why isn't the music that was played there being played?
foxxieladie 2 years ago 3
@foxxieladie That was the music that was being played and also printed on the paper planes
bug4350 1 year ago
Nice!
MrOctobery 2 years ago
Looked fantastic! Wish I had been there.
sunz600 2 years ago
Comment removed
Flylittle 2 years ago 4
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what? it isn't creative, throwing paper airplanes.. you kidding? the idea bombed, just fall to the ground. flat sheets of paper would have had the wind resistance to provide a more interesting display. it's a ton of litter. is it really a good use of trees? once that paper hits the ground, it's unusable. it will be recycled or thrown away, or it will clog up the storm drains, which are all unfortunate, wasteful ends. this isn't art, this is waste.
and the sigur ros is stupidly repetitive
genowhirl 2 years ago
Better launch technique would've helped. The big orange glob of planes made me sad.
wavewash 2 years ago 4
I disagree that this was inane or pointless. It was a creative, unique and innovative idea, and that is what art is about. If you think about this from an artist's perspective, you're not thinking about the trouble it took you to get there, the length of the event, and the trouble it took you to get out. I was watching the shapes that clumps of planes created as they fell as well as taking in the colors. Plus, the beautiful Sigur Ros music certainly made it that much more enjoyable.
blcawood 2 years ago 3
Comment removed
genowhirl 2 years ago
I wuz there. It wuz cool, but the airplanes would have had much more hangtime if the tips were not folded in. I guess safety first? UR GUNNA POLKA UR EYE OUT KID!
floydianpropulsion 2 years ago 2
O, plus I saw Sigur live in GR a few years ago. ROCK
floydianpropulsion 2 years ago
Comment removed
snakous 2 years ago
Looking straight up at a thousand paper airplanes flying straight down. Yeah nobody can think of a way that could end badly. It is sad people gather in these numbers so easily for the most inane pointless activities, but ask them to step out for something that matters and all of the sudden it's all I Have To Work That Day and crap.
SaintEntreri 2 years ago 5
yeah this fuckin blows
jizzm347 2 years ago
I was there at the event. I must admit that it was anti-climatic. This video looks cool, but the event was spread over 10-15 minutes as they tried to dump the planes. It took 45 minutes for me to get into position, 15 minutes to watch the event with about 2 minutes of actual action, and then another 45 minutes to get out of that mess of people.
Neat idea, but it failed to live up to the expectations.
VAND1898 2 years ago 2
He had to have a plan from start to finish which includes clean up. There was a clean up grew for this that he organized and the plan was to recycle the paper. It was an experiment and great fun. Did you see how many people were down there? I hear some of the restaurants started running out of food.
I liked the film I thought it was great! A good way to do something fun and different with your children. Don't be so narrow minded!
carissa74 2 years ago 3
god! sigur + this.. amazing. great job people!
alitesneeze 2 years ago
I wish I got to be there! I didn't hear about this until later that night after it happened...
A lot of trees were cut down to do this, I'm sure the ones that were cleaned up, got recycled. This brought thousands of people together, and thousands had a good time! This video is really good by the way!
AwesomeTechno15 2 years ago
proof that people in West Michigan have way to much time on their hands. Let's put WM back to work
sseifferlein 2 years ago
Technically, there was a lot of work in planning this, and making all those paper planes!
AwesomeTechno15 2 years ago
last I knew, art was anything you wanted it to be :)
kk7rae 2 years ago 3
interesting idea. but by the looks of it poorly executed.
ngjas1 2 years ago 2
it was a bit over hyped... but still cool
dakarads 2 years ago
Great job with the video. I think the video was better than the actual event.
Critics are a dime a dozen. I invite any critic to put on a more interesting event and get 20,000 people to show up.
Rob is an idea man who gets things done, and creates good will, community spirit and fun at the same time.
I'm glad he didn't make the top 10, but I'm very glad he pulled this off at the same time.
Rock on Rob Bliss.
btw - Rob did hire a cleaning crew to pick up the planes.
xmartinj 2 years ago 2
lol the clumps
chelseascrazy 2 years ago
you guys trolling on here about littering and all the cut down trees need to examine your own lives. yeah, a lot of trees were cut down and made into paper for those airplanes, but I would rather they be cut down bringing 20,000 smiling faces together then be used to print off someone's divorce papers. How about they be used to print off the failing grades of America's children? There are much bigger things in this world to bemoan then the "litter" this experiment caused.
donmarf 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
this is art? I call it littering. Way to go jackass, try to think of something productive to do with your life
matsuo32 2 years ago
owned
urbanrogue 2 years ago
FAIL
minimidgy 2 years ago
that was fun i still have the paper airplane and i was playing the flute man it was fun and good job to all the pllz who did that
Sleepover1997 2 years ago 3
5:25
grapfan1212 2 years ago
I wasn't there, and it seems like it might have been anti-climatic. The film, however, was great and deserves recognition--great video and soundtrack!
cpowell974 2 years ago
Yeah, this is cool looking, But its only art for what? 12 seconds? Then it turns into litter. So a big shout out goes to Grand Rapids Sanitation and all the trees that died for a few seconds of flight. Honestly, he should not be in the top 25 for art prize
spastickangaroo 2 years ago
This is awesome. I was there. Great job.
paigewich 2 years ago
donating that paper to central city school would have been art
themikebrenner 2 years ago
amen.
bkahler419 2 years ago
ooo now i understand, is that what trees are cut down for lol
sir240s 2 years ago
Can anyone tell me what cameras were used to film this? LOOKS GREAT!!!
TheNewsie 2 years ago
Sony EX3's and Panasonic P2's. There were other various cameras used to cover this event as well.
ryanh012 2 years ago
That was awesome!!!
Montagraph 2 years ago
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Melo15xSTAT1 2 years ago
I like the innocence in it but what a waste of paper....
freakingtv 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Not impressive....Lame, i say ! New York city has done this every fucking new year...And it is WAY BIGGER than this lame event....
swatus 2 years ago
Well, Grand Rapids is not NYC...it's a small town in comparison and Rob did this with a small band of friends and family. He's organized a ton of events here, with no other purpose than to bring people together...zombie walk, sidewalk chalk drawing, etc. He's just a young guy trying to bring some joy and togetherness to our city...and it has worked!
eshier365 2 years ago
I have to say that going to this event was a liitle bit of a let down. However, after watching the video and seeing all the smiling faces, crowded streets, happy kids, and sunny day... my opinion totally changed. Isn't art supposed to be a form of expression? What could be better than getting so many peolple together on such a gorgeous day? It makes me happy to live here.
Michelley2223 2 years ago 3
Wow; a few negative comments here; looks to me like 20,000 plus people enjoyed themselves to me; who cares if it's art or not .... I live in this city and have seen lots of exhibits I would NOT classify as art - it's all by vote
grwoman 2 years ago
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Melo15xSTAT1 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
dumping a bunch of trash on people isn't art.
what's next pissing and shitting on them?
helraizr 2 years ago
anything is considered art nowadays
CIutchVS5 2 years ago
Seriously. I mean, had the air planes been deployed in a way that they would actually glide a bit, it'd be interesting. Instead, they all fell down like a pile of confetti.
didles123 2 years ago 2
This has been flagged as spam show
i dont have any videos but subscribe to me anyway. i'm trying to be the first person to have the most subscribers without any videos.
subscribe for the laughs.
Melo15xSTAT1 2 years ago
very cool video - and a really neat event! Few things draw this many people into downtown Grand Rapids
leannapelham 2 years ago
Why do people have to be so negative? I think it was fun and lots of people enjoyed it. If you don't like it, don't watch!
bobmarib1 2 years ago 2
SOLUTION: If you think it's dumb, a flop, or not art, vote in down on the artprize website. But let the people who enjoyed the experience or video for what it is, art or not, enjoy it in peace.
deucesrott 2 years ago
the title kept reminding me of Philip Glass's 1000 airplanes on the roof but hey, this is so much better!
millyjilly9 2 years ago
what a floofy video...focusing more on the participants like a parody of their reactions
TBott91 2 years ago
There are some harsh words here. Is anyone an art expert? What counts is your interpretation of the video- that was the "art". The people in the video, the airplanes were simply the paint, the instruments, the canvas that made the video.
Films begin with ideas. There are many aspects in completing any type of production. Did Frank Capra, or Stephen Spielberg, or Martin Scorsese sing, or play instruments in their films? The point is that directors can be artists without actually performing art.
bethalee 2 years ago 2
one can't polish a turd, but one can set it to a sigur ross soundtrack and have it sound great huh?
this was fail
puppetcords 2 years ago
Doesn't this constitute a Sigur Ros copyright violation?
thomasallen63 2 years ago
nope, they cleared it through the band. Rob contacted the band manager.
ryanh012 2 years ago
He got permission beforehand.
YouNeedToHearThis 2 years ago
SNORE.
thomasallen63 2 years ago
Excellent Video. Nice work Guys!
RKSDream 2 years ago
It was great! and it was fun. I was there. I am also an artist - a painter, designer, photographer - and I have to challenge anyone who claims to know what art is, or is not. I'm sorry there are so many negative people who who have to slam the amazing creativity, and efforts, of the guy who has brought fun and joy to thousands of people. Shame.
Marcia0702 2 years ago 3
This was a gigantic waste of paper, time, attention. I can't wait until all the talented people who wasted their time on Grand Rapids lose ArtPrize and never come back because our taste in art is so redneck.
This was such a waste of publicity. If he wins I'm going to dump 10,000 paper middle fingers on his lawn.
DDJoy16 2 years ago
That's it? Bags full of paper tossed from a building rooftop?
fordmodels 2 years ago
A waste of a day. Not one of Rob's best. I was very disappointed.
Actingcrazekbb 2 years ago
oh man the guy in the green shirt walking by on the bike, he just might have been drunk there.
alfire6 2 years ago
I wondered about how much this was "art", but bringing people together in GR the way this guy does is an art! It was great fun and the people that day were great. Looking up into a sky of purple airplanes is a memory that will always make me smile.
TheMarymee 2 years ago 2
all that paper in the air immediately makes me picture all the paper in the air during 9/11. am i crazy?
nichampagne 2 years ago
5:25
grapfan1212 2 years ago
This is really cool! How long did it take to fold all of those paper airplanes, I wonder...
Snapolitan17 2 years ago
I believe I heard it took all weekends for the past 6 months to fold all the planes.
Grace410 2 years ago
love it. i folded planes at his house.
it was amazing. memorable.
KVLoVEx3 2 years ago
Wow....that Carol at 27 secs! At the bottom with the blueblockers on!!!
cbdud 2 years ago
i thought it was a well planned thing.. they said it was alot better then it accually was. but i thought it was really cool and it brought alot of people downtown. im even in the video
keepfloating 2 years ago
this is just awesome. i live in the southeast side of the state, and i could only wish that someday Detroit could see something like this
WakeWarrior138 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Detroit is a shit hole, so I doubt it.
grapfan1212 2 years ago
Wow, uncalled for. Yay success!
milesaway037 2 years ago
because i post a negative comment, the screeners delete it?
Come on guys. Even the press was NOT impressed. The event had merit in bringing people downtown but even as many posts here have said, it is not art. It did look like brightly colored trash thrown off a building. Lame.
kilzme 2 years ago
Comment removed
lancerpika 2 years ago
Wasn't there an exhibit in a parking lot by Friday's that was a normal colored pile of trash? At least rob brought the vibrant pallet. :)
deucesrott 2 years ago
Well, if you're going to say that, then neither was any of the "abstract" metal woven together with a "deep" meaning randomly thrown about the city.
burpingtiger 2 years ago
Comment removed
milesaway037 2 years ago
People could argue for 10 years on what is art and what isnt. But the fact is, art means something different to everyone. Although it is not traditional art, it is art. The times are changing, just like art has been changing for thousands of years. Its changing now, and now its turning into more than just D2 work. More or less, it was an absolute site to see the people of Grand Rapids gathered together. We can only hope this turns into an annual ordeal.
brianhdrck 2 years ago 3
well done! great!
joecartoondotcom 2 years ago
straight up alfred hitchcockin it
WorkaholixCollective 2 years ago
It was cool to see all the people in Downtown GR, but is not worthy of the tope prize by any means. Not art in my opinion..
eastmarw 2 years ago 2
I was there. It was awesome. Super job rob! :D
cshore111 2 years ago
Cool video, neat experiement, but not worthy of being in top 25 of art prize. I was downtown in the middle of it all and was (in my humble opinion) very underwhelmed by the airplanes/pieces of paper that fell down in the sky. in many ways it was a lame ticker tape parade. I know for a fact that the kids loved it, but my friends and I were bored 3 minutes in
calvinboho 2 years ago
This was such a wonderful display of simplistic life. i was there and got fixed at watching the one that didnt just zoom to the ground......people all around gathering to watch simple life pleasures of a small paper airplane twirling and soaring with the wind.....come on stop getting angry all you upset artprize people. this was such a breathe of fresh air in this tough world. thank you rob for being so great at gathering the masses! keep doing what you do!
dydreamer313 2 years ago
fantastic video guys. what did you shoot with?
adamsonj24 2 years ago
and I am also very proud to be from Grand Rapids!! :)
DreaBlinks 2 years ago
absolutely amazing, this was an unforgettable day, i met so many new people from all over and the simple beauty of it all just melted my heart.
DreaBlinks 2 years ago
I thought it was cool, but not as epic as I thought it was going to be, they were too spread out if you ask me, but it was still fun, and cool to watch
Jskis123 2 years ago
im so proud to be from grand rapids
lmourand 2 years ago
I agree, I enjoyed the atmosphere but I thought the paper airplanes were a bit anticlimactic. It's easy for me to say how it could have been better. Maybe it was my own fault for thinking it was going to be like a slow motion/out of body experience with planes falling slowly on my head while I spun around in circles while grinning with my eyes closed and my arms lifted towards the sky... Yeah I guess that's probably my fault... but thats what the all the prior talk and hype made me think...
transitgr 2 years ago 3
The video is beautiful and I believe conveys what Rob wanted to accomplish with the piece, event or entry... a gathering of souls to witness, participate and enjoy something as simple as this melody and thousands of paper airplanes falling from the sky. It was a really great idea, concept and accomplishment to be proud of. Look past tangibles... art is NOT about tangibles.
bonniegeen 2 years ago
Comment removed
transitgr 2 years ago
Whew! I panicked about the cost for a second. I do think the event is considered art but unfortunately I don't think it ranks close to a lot of the other works that have been submitted for ArtPrize. I personally don't think it lived up to the hype, but it was cool to see so many people downtown and all the kids having a good time.
transitgr 2 years ago 3
I agree...my hubby and kids really enjoyed the event, but I don't think it deseves to win the big prize.
eshier365 2 years ago
I think they used recycled paper... but besides that... Did this event really cost 1/2 million dollars? If it did, the minimal amount of respect and enjoyment I had for the event will be gone...
transitgr 2 years ago
This event didn't cost $500,000. I think nexus1girl was improperly stating that the prize was $500,000, and she didn't think this was worth the win.
YouNeedToHearThis 2 years ago
no the 1st place prize for the art competition is $250,000 and yes he used recycled paper.
Lancewar1 2 years ago
By the way... How many trees did we cut down to organize this event? Yeay to deforestation!
nexus1girl 2 years ago
none
Lancewar1 2 years ago
Can someone explain to me how this qualifies as art? If anything the video is more artistic than this event was. So the guy managed to grab the attention of 20,000 people... so what? I wasn't impressed. The video is a lot more hyped up than the actual event was. In my opinion, not worth 1/2 million dollars. But then again, what do Michiganders know about art anyway? Simply entertain them with some dumb act that makes them go "oooh" and "aaaah" and you've got their attention and their votes.
nexus1girl 2 years ago
Art is completely subjective. By Rob stating that this was his ArtPrize entry, it is art.
YouNeedToHearThis 2 years ago
Indeed, art is subjective, but it is the viewer, not the creator that decides.
csrat 2 years ago