Where else can you find giant concrete balls that double as furniture? This is More Balls for Klapper Hall. It is also known as Untitled. This unique art piece was created by Vito Acconci in 1995. More Balls for Klapper Hall sits in front of the English Department building at Queens College.
Originally, the plaza was just a pass-through. Acconci transformed it into an interactive space with his spheres. Two concrete spheres stood guard at the stairway. Acconci added more spheres of varying sizes to create a field of orbs. These new spheres range from one foot two inches to ten feet six inches. The original spheres now fit seamlessly into this range.
Each new sphere in More Balls for Klapper Hall is cut into. This makes them usable as furniture. Frosted acrylic panels line the cuts. Light shines from within the spheres. This provides illumination for the furniture and adds light to the plaza at night.
Imagine walking up the ramp. Each half of a seven-foot sphere borders the pathway. You enter the plaza by passing through a sphere. Sit in a niche inside the cut. Within the plaza, a niche is cut halfway around an eight-foot two-inch sphere. A group of people can sit together side-by-side.
Near the building across from the English department, a cut is made into either side of a four-foot eight-inch sphere. You can sit behind another person back-to-back. In the middle of the plaza, a niche is cut through the largest sphere. This sphere is ten feet six inches. It makes an L-shaped seat around a table. Near the stairs, a cut is made in a two-foot four-inch sphere. This forms a small back for a single seat. On the stairs, a five-foot ten-inch sphere is cut in half. You can walk through a three-foot space in the middle. On the landing at the top of the stairs, a cross-shaped niche is cut into a nine-foot four-inch sphere. You can walk through it between two rows of seated people. Against the building, next to the door, the top is cut off the smallest sphere. That sphere is one foot two inches. You can sit on it.
More Balls for Klapper Hall fills the plaza with itself. It replicates the spheres that were already there. The plaza turns on itself. It is like the attack of the killer tomatoes. The plaza is now occupied by things and places. It can now be occupied in turn by people. You sit within the glow of the spheres.
However, More Balls for Klapper Hall has faced challenges. A Queens resident voiced concern in 1999. They noted vandalism with graffiti inside the orbs and some broken pieces. By 2007, the lights had stopped working. Parts of the spheres were damaged or missing. Two half-spheres had been combined.
In recent times, a construction vehicle knocked down two other half-spheres. Weather further damaged them. Queens College is working to address these issues. A professional conservation report was commissioned. Repairs were made. However, the full-scale restoration is stalled. This may be due to lack of funding.
Despite the challenges, More Balls for Klapper Hall remains a significant piece of public art. It invites interaction and transforms the plaza into a social space. As you explore, consider the history and the ongoing efforts to preserve this unique artwork.