THE MAYAN BALL GAME
The Institute re created the famous Mayan Ball Game for the opening of The Main Event,
an art show about art and competition at the Schroeder Romero Gallery in New York City
in June, 2008. Instead of playing on a ceremonial court in Mesoamerica, the Ball Game
was brought to the street, transforming into a contentious contest worthy of any summer
block party. The two teams battling it out were Tikal, the highly touted squad from the
eponymus Guatemalan palace, and New York’s reps, Tical, Method Man’s onomanpoetic catch
phrase( and first solo album title). Players competed to use their joints-elbows, knees,
hips and wrists- to score a point through the circular goal. With the dominant home field
position of a cobblestone street, Tical easily dispensed of their southern rivals. Luckily
however, nobody was sacrificed.
The second iteration of the Mayan Ball game took place at a street party thrown
by Babycastles and Silent Barn in July 2013. Tikal and Tical again squared off,
this time with new hoops inspired by NYC police barricades and the once colorful
ceremonial hoops of the Mayans' glorious ball courts. I can't remember who won the game,
but we got some eleven year old kids to play, who definitely knew who the Mayans were,
but had no idea who Method Man was. Shit I am old.