In 1974, Philippe Petit stepped
into history when he became the first—and certainly only—human being ever to
walk on a high wire that stretched between the two now-gone World Trade Center
towers. On February 1, the French-born Woodstock resident, who was profiled in
the May 2021 issue of Chronogram, will once again take to the hire wire
for another nail-biting feat of derring-do, this time inside New York’s Cathedral
of St. John the Divine.
The 74-year-old aerialist
will traverse a 600-foot wire set up beneath the eaves of the landmark cathedral
in Morningside Heights, nearly 100 feet above the historic structure’s floor,
walking through an art installation made from colorful, 75-foot ribbons hung
from its ceiling. Titled “The Ribbon Walk,” the feat marks Petit’s third public
daredevil performance at the site; in 1982, he walked outside the 1911 building,
on a wire suspended 150 feet over Amsterdam Avenue, to celebrate the long-awaited
resumption of construction work at the church, where he is an artist-in-residence.
Philippe Petit will
perform “The Ribbon Walk” at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York
on February 1 at 6pm (doors open at 5:15pm). General admission tickets are
$25-$50.
This article appears in January 2024.
